


Surging Senses

by upplet



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Character Development, F/M, Lemon, Sex, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-26
Updated: 2018-05-14
Packaged: 2019-04-08 06:38:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 32,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14099466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/upplet/pseuds/upplet
Summary: Cabba and Caulifla have only grown closer in the months following the Tournament of Power, and their subsequent revival with the Super Dragon Balls. As they train together, new powers and new feelings emerge between the two Saiyans, leading to a union of pent-up passions like no other.





	1. Emergence

In the end, they were nothing: Ten warriors zapped from existence itself.

Not a single one of Universe 6's designated fighters could recall what had happened after they were winked away into oblivion. No memories, no recollection, no nothing. It was like someone had taken an eraser to their brains; wiping clean everything from the moment of their erasure, to their eventual resurrection. But it was far worse: For a moment, they had been gone. Completely destroyed. Not a single cell nor strand of memory had escaped the wrath of Grand Zeno. For some time, all was lost for Universe 6.

Mind became matter, and matter became nothing. They were nothing.

But then, with a flash of warm, golden light, ten pairs of eyes flew open. Pupils narrowed in suspicion: This had to have been some sort of trick. Yet the breaths they took were true, and full, and the crisp midnight chill from the balcony of Lord Champa's palace was as real as it could be. They were alive. All ten of the sixth universe's fighters, including the likes of their Supreme Kai and God of Destruction, respectively, had been revived with the omnipotent power of the Super Dragon Balls. Life had been restored.

Bewilderment was replaced with tears of joy, and incomprehensible relief quickly followed. There was simply nothing to describe the feeling of being worse than dead, only to be brought back not just to life, but into existence itself. Mere words could not compute the overwhelming combination of anxiety, solace, and jubilation of being truly reborn.

Cabba recalled staring up at the depths of the night sky, knowing that his esteemed master, Vegeta, had accomplished his goal: The universes that had been defeated and erased in the Tournament of Power had been restored. The young Saiyan's eyes traced over the form of a massive golden dragon could be seen through a ripple of light in the sky high above - a gateway to the World of Void, where the tournament had taken place - the likes of Champa's tower. Cabba knew that he must have been witnessing the majesty of Super Shenron, the single most powerful being in existence. The deity's sheer power was so great, that it stretched through the vastness of every universe, for all to see. It was because of that dragon's power, that the sixth universe, and all of its inhabitants had been revived. The young Saiyan felt on the very edge of joyous tears.

Vegeta had indeed fulfilled his promise. Now, all that was left was for Cabba to fulfill his own.

A hefty clap on the back disrupted his attention. Cabba turned his head to his right and gazed over the ecstatic form of his good friend, Caulifla, who had wrapped her arms around both Kale and himself, pulling them all in with a massive hug. Her grip was strong, and almost uncomfortable, but Cabba welcomed the embrace with a warm smile.

"Cabba! Help us train to reach Super Saiyan Three!" Caulifla exclaimed, her eyes lit bright with fervor.

Just mere moments after being revived from erasure, and she was already eager to begin training to reach new heights. Typical of Caulifla. Still, Cabba couldn't help but grin as the initial shock wore off. Here they were on the cusp of life and existence itself, and the first thing that Caulifla did was embrace her two best friends. The male Saiyan couldn't have asked for anything more. The shining relief and admiration in everyone's eyes was all that truly needed to be said. Kale, Caulifla, and everyone else were alive.

And that was all that he needed.

Past the emotional realization of their resurrection, Cabba recalled Champa giving a speech to the ten fighters of the sixth universe's team about their many displays of will, bravery, and strength (not to mention his own "unquestionable" leadership), all of which led to their team surviving as long as they did, even if they were all erased, in the end. Afterwords, goodbyes were given, gratitude exchanged, and all ten warriors went off on their separate ways; each with a mind burning full of memories and lessons.

None more so, perhaps, than the trio of Saiyans themselves.

Throughout the Tournament of Power, the three of them had each been subjugated to their own unique obstacles and challenges. Each Saiyan pushed through to the highest limits of their power and determination. Cabba had achieved Super Saiyan Two, Kale had overcome her emotional barriers, and Caulifla had experienced a taste of higher power, providing incentive for her to better both her abilities, and herself. Each of them had learned much about the world they lived in, the power that it held, and even a little bit of something about themselves, along the way. Pain and suffering was their sturdiest, most resolute teacher, and it guided them through the depths of hell and back.

Cabba; with his self-belittlement and apprehension, had cast off his fears and weaknesses to fight for those that he loved. To protect himself, his universe, and everyone within it, the inner strength of his Saiyan being was unleashed. Kale; whose long-burdening emotional instability had tormented her for years, had at last broken herself free from the psychological chains that bound her. And Caulifla; arrogant and proud, brought to defeat by the very traits that defined her, and taught an invaluable lesson on life.

All three of them were now ripe with new wisdom and experience, yet were still shell-shocked and weary from the harrowing challenges of the Tournament of Power. They deemed rest and recuperation their first priority, despite Caulifla's insistence that they could simply "train off" the pain. And so, the trio of Saiyans parted for some time, intent on following momentary pathways of personal interest, before reconnecting with the plan of training together to reach further levels of power. Cabba returned to his mentor, Renso, to fill him in on everything that had happened in the tournament, while Kale and Caulifla both severed ties to that bothersome gang of ragtag punks that had held back their inner potential for so long. Without a bunch of ruffians weighing them down, they were free to focus all of their energies on getting stronger alongside Cabba.

And that was exactly what they did.

For three long months following the end of the Tournament of Power and the subsequent revival of Universe Six; Cabba, Kale, and Caulifla had begun training hard with one another, pushing their limits as best they could while fine-tuning the many abilities that they had garnered over the course of the tournament. Kale's mysterious power was still as much a mystery to them as it was to her, yet it proved useful in providing something to work towards. Her great power, combined with Caulifla's potential and Cabba's ambition, was enough to take them all to entirely new, untouched heights of power and influence. They were sure of it, and they were set on reaching as high as possible.

This mentality, of course, required them to work together, and that wasn't always something that was attained so easily.

At first, Cabba and Caulifla's wildly different personalities clashed like fire and ice, making the art of training a rather irksome procedure to undertake. They may have been great friends, but the stark differences between the two left little room to negotiate. Kale always managed to glue them back together, in the end, and soon enough, both Cabba and Caulifla learned to accept the differences of eachother, and the weaknesses of themselves, and use such a union to further their drive for power and strength.

Caulifla's volatile personality and hair-trigger temper frequently surfaced, but she managed to maintain and control them better over time. To combat such inner qualities, she reminisced to her experience in the Tournament of Power: It was her stubbornness and pride that had led to her downfall. Caulifla had been absolutely livid after being beaten by Goku. Yet still, during the tournament, she had learned so much from him, and had also grown to appreciate and respect her comrades, Kale and Cabba, beyond what she ever could have imagined. She may have lost, in the end, but she couldn't deny that she was somewhat humbled by it. Of course, she never would have admitted it aloud, but her outlook on the world had changed, and she had Goku to thank for that: Getting erased had made her realize just how valuable both life and time could be.

Yes, the whole tournament was just one big learning experience for everyone involved.

As she had ran around the stands in her final moments, Caulifla recalled catching a momentary glimpse of Cabba as he bid farewell to his de-facto master, Vegeta. He had looked peaceful and content with himself, even as his body was already beginning to evaporate into nothingness. Caulifla admired his bravery and acceptance. Even if they were now alive and well, she knew that she'd never be able to forget the anger, shock, and hopelessness that she had experienced during that tournament. Caulifla refused to allow such emotions to hold her back ever again, and prevent her from achieving victory. Now, she fully intended on directing her anger and pride toward getting stronger.

For that, the first step needed was to show some humility.

Despite her outwardly tomboyish attitude, Caulifla cared greatly for those close to her: Kale, her protegee, whom she regarded like a little sister, and Cabba, as a dear friend. However, Caulifla had disregarded the both of them in her selfish pursuit of power during the early stages of the tournament. She had been so overcome with awe and the idea of personal gain, that she had shown little consideration for either of the only two members of their team that cared for her. Even before the start of the tournament, her self-absorbed antics had shown through in notable moments, such as when she had blown away both Kale and Cabba with the aura of her first Super Saiyan transformation.

She had also purposefully ignored Kale during her fight with Goku in the arena, and although her plan to invoke Kale's inner power through emotion had worked, in the end, the methods that Caulifla had underwent to achieve those goals left her reeling with personal guilt. Caulifla had apologized to both Cabba and Kale multiple times after their resurrection; acknowledging her self-centered actions and requesting forgiveness. Ever the merciful Saiyans they were, Kale and Cabba never turned down the chance to assure her that all was well. With her conscious effectively sated, Caulifla could better concentrate on getting stronger, yes, though not without the two of them by her side.

Such was the bond between the trio. Over the weeks, it only grew stronger and more dependable, that was, until two new additions to their posse shook things up.

Not long after their training began, Vegeta and Goku arrived on Planet Sadala, thanks to the trans-universal powers of Whis and his sister, Vados, both of whom were glad to drop the two older Saiyans from Universe Seven into the Sixth Universe, so that they could explore Sadala, and mingle with its inhabitants. Cabba was beyond pleased to know that his conscious could be cleared, having at last brought his master, Vegeta, to his home world. The young Saiyan proudly gave his older guests a tour of the planet, and had even managed to arrange a meeting with the king. For nearly a month, Goku and Vegeta trained with their three underlings; helping them harness their full powers.

But not everything was to last, though: Kale, seeking to learn the secret behind her mysterious powers, set off on her own to explore Planet Sadala, and see if she could unearth something about the origin of her peculiar, unique abilities, on a journey of self-discovery. She promised to return soon, though knew not when. Likewise, Goku and Vegeta were desired back home, in the seventh universe. They both had families of their own that needed much guidance and attention, and so, they promptly bid their two remaining students farewell, and left, homeward bound to a distant universe, though not without a promise to return one day, and continue training at some later date.

And so, the two young Saiyans were alone once again. Abandoned, they were left with one last bit of advice from Masters Goku and Vegeta: If Cabba and Caulifla sought to heighten their strength on their own, without their assistance, or that of Kale's, then they would need to learn to work well together, and train as hard as they possibly could.

Goku himself had assured the two young Saiyans that they were both very close to reaching Super Saiyan Three, and at that, there was nothing to stop them from reaching it, given time. Caulifla in particular had been irritated that Goku had left without even managing to get her and Cabba to Super Saiyan Three. She had even been so livid as to fire a large ball of energy at his stupid, smiling face just before he blasted away along with Vegeta and Whis, leaving an empty patch of air as the only target of her fury.

Of course, Cabba quickly managed to be the voice of reason, and calmed her down. She still had him, after all, and that much she could count on.

More months passed by like an aimless wind, and over time, Cabba and Caulifla had only gotten stronger. Even training together, both of them had yet to reach the sought after transformation of Super Saiyan Three. It's power level was so huge, that the stark difference between it and Super Saiyan Two was proving the form to be surprisingly difficult to achieve through training. The learning curve was big, but thankfully, Cabba and Caulifla were fast learners, and so, continued to strive for their desired end goal.

And now, in the present, the intensity of their training was on display, for all to see.

Clashing through the air like lightning, the two young Saiyans exchanged a flurry of jabs, kicks, and other melee attacks as they soared across the landscape of a deserted desert wasteland. Electricity crackled around their twin bodies, occasionally shooting out to the side and connecting with a nearby boulder, causing it to explode into rubble. Big clouds of dust were kicked up wherever they went, obscuring the bright backdrop of the sinking evening sun. The dry, mucky weather was at last beginning to fade; being replaced with a much more crisp, and appealing temperature. Yet still, the heat from the Saiyan's duel was enough to turn the sand around their feet to glass whenever they touched down on the ground. Their breaths were harsh and labored, and the skin on their bodies glistened with a mixture of sweat and dirt from the intensity of the scuffle.

The clothes that equipped their forms were beginning to tear, as well. Both Saiyans were dressed in their usual attire, though each bore the brunt of combat: Cabba's Sadala Special Forces armor was dented from the impact of Caulifla's kicks. Likewise, Caulifla herself had had to tear off a few mangled shreds from her harem pants that were interfering with her footwork, though, thankfully, her pink tube-top was still intact, as of now. Having to find a makeshift replacement for that might have been embarassing.

In any case, the two young Saiyans continued their sparring match with fervid potency and focus. Ever since they had started training together, Cabba's power had only grown to match his determination. In Super Saiyan two, he and Caulifla were quite well matched. They were constantly nipping at eachother's heels, so to speak, and their respective perseverance kept propelling the two forward, ever closer to their goal. Indeed; Caulifla had to admit that she was impressed by Cabba's sudden rise in power.

She just wished that Kale were here, so that the two of them could fuse together once again. Her fusion with Kale during the Tournament of Power had been exhilarating! The sheer power of their fusion was enough to overwhelm even Goku himself, at the time. Sadly, the earrings were destroyed in the fight, and the Supreme Kai of Universe Six, Fuwa, refused to lend his new pair to the young Saiyans. And so, Caulifla was left with nothing but her own strength to work with. Fine by her: She would manage herself!

Having briefly been daydreaming the prospect of her old fusion with Kale, Caulifla had distracted herself from her current fight with Cabba. The male Saiyan then seized the opportunity to strike, and landed a hard blow to the stomach of his female counterpart. She was sent flying away straight down to the ground, where she crashed through a hill of boulders as though it were made of cardboard. The resulting crater was ten meters wide and completely enveloped in dust. Cabba quickly descended to the ground; passing through the cloud of debris until he came to the sight of Caulifla laying motionless in the center of the crater, with a halo of glass fused into the sand around her.

"Are you alright, Caulifla?" Cabba found himself calling out. He quickly approached the edge of the crater before leaping in and running up to his partner. "Are you-?"

Suddenly and without warning, Caulifla grabbed a fistful of sand and threw it directly into Cabba's open eyes. He reeled back in stinging pain as the granules shifted around in his corneas. He blinked away the dust as best he could, but when he stared back at the spot Caulifla had been in just moments before, she was completely gone from sight.

"Behind you!" A feminine voice proclaimed triumphantly from somewhere behind.

Cabba only had enough time to turn around before his sparring partner's foot plowed directly into the small of his back. The male Saiyan was launched straight out of the pit and into the air. He quickly regained his composure; twisting in midair and landing atop a sizable stack of rocks not too far off from the edge of the crater. Caulifla lept out and landed beside him. She blew a thick strand of golden hair out of her face, and eyed over Cabba with a smug look on her face as she wiped the dust off from her palms.

"You really like playing dirty, huh?" Cabba projected, though not without a smile on his face.

"Hmph." The female stifled. "Can you blame me? You let your guard down way too easily!"

"Oh yeah? Then let's see how you do with this!"

He then took on an offensive stance before blasting a sphere of hot energy at his opponent. The ball of Ki exploded at her feet, sending up another wave of dust from the force of the blast, though Caulifla wasn't even fazed: She soared straight through it and immediately re-engaged in hand to hand combat with Cabba. The spiky blond hair of her Super Saiyan Two transformation whipped around in the breeze as she threw one punch after another. Cabba continued to block and parry her attacks, that was, until she swiftly disengaged from the tussle; propelling herself back with a small expulsion of Ki energy. She then pointed a finger at him, and fired a laser of condensed power directly toward her foe. The male Saiyan grit his teeth in realization, for the move that Caulifla had just came up with on the fly was very similar to the one that had blasted him from the arena, and had nearly gotten him killed all those months before, in the Tournament of Power. His eyes widened as he recalled the great shame of his defeat.

Cabba's mind lingered back to his experience during the heat of the battle. He remembered how difficult his fight with Monna, that peculiar fighter from the fourth universe, had been for him. Early on, he was beaten down and battered, but managed to surpass his own limits and defeat her with ease. The following encounter with that monstrous alien, Frieza, of the seventh universe, was what haunted him the most. The way that he had toyed with him, mocked him, and broken down his fighting spirit still rang heavy in his memories, yet the worst one of all was how Frieza had threatened to harm both of his dear friends, Caulifla and Kale, whom were also off fighting nearby in the arena.

After I'm done with you, I'll be sure to go and play with your Saiyan friends! That monster had promised. Cabba remembered those evil words all too well.

Deep down, the young Saiyan knew that no matter how strong he became, no matter how hard he tried, that there would always be someone even stronger. His fight with, and subsequent defeat at the hands of Frieza had been solid proof of that. But that didn't matter: For as long as he could, Cabba would train to better himself and harness his abilities. He would work to make himself stronger, so as to repel the wretched creatures of this chaotic existence from his home. Malicious beings such as Frieza, and out of control gods such as Champa would always pose threats to him and those that he cared for. Kale, Caulifla, and all of the Saiyans on Planet Sadala required his leadership.

He was tired of losing; Tired of feeling powerless and burdening. To defend himself, his people, and those that he loved, he would need more strength. More power.

What happened next was beyond his understanding.

A sudden surge of power caused the air around Cabba to electrify with hot tendrils of energy. The beam of Ki that Caulifla had fired at him mere moments before was completely dissipated in the intensity of the male Saiyan's output of energy. Blue streaks of electricity encircled the Saiyan, flickering like bolts of lightning in a deadly storm, and sizzling waves of heat flushed themselves outward from his body. All of the anger, self-doubt, and anxiety that had been building up within him from the moment of his erasure spilled outward; manifesting itself into a burst of power that was unlike anything that the young Saiyan had experienced before: Every cell in his body filled with raw energy, his strength rejuvenated itself, and a tingling sensation in his scalp evolved into a tugging pull as he threw his head back and let loose a guttural roar of anger from the deepest depths of his body and soul. An eruption of blinding, golden light flared from Cabba's form; illuminating the battlegrounds, and filling the air with power. Pain racked his body, but quickly subsided, only to be replaced by a growing sense of strength and determination that made his muscles tense and his vigor harden like iron.

With a crackling gasp of air, Cabba leaned forward and nearly fell to his knees, but thankfully, managed to maintain his balance. He breathed in slowly, heavily, as he tried to make sense of what had just happened to him. The top of his head felt like it weighed an extra few pounds, yet the amount of energy coursing through his veins was the most profound realization: Cabba's power had skyrocketed, and his anger was to blame. Even still, his fists were clenched into tightened balls, and his teeth grit together almost violently. His forearms trembled with rage, and the veins in his biceps bulged outward prominently. The anger within him threatened to overcome his sense of reason.

His emotions quelled greatly when he saw Caulifla, however.

Even in the midst of such a violent surge of raw power, the young Saiyan felt his heart annoyingly flutter with endearment at the sight of his dear friend. Her expression was simply far beyond that of mere shock or surprise: It was complete and utter awe, lined with admiration and even a light sense of disbelief, as if she couldn't believe her eyes.

"Cabba!" She shrieked. "Y-Your hair!"

My hair...? The Saiyan thought to himself.

That's when he realized something had changed. Something big. The conclusion of such a prospect was nearly enough to make him feint, yet he swallowed back his shock.

He reminisced back to how heavy his head had felt just moments before. Cabba then raised his arms to pat down the top of his head, and nearly recoiled his hands as the tips of his fingers groped through a thick mass of hair that was far too large to be his own; a shifting, spiky protrusion with nearly triple the total mass of his regular hairstyle.

Cabba lowered his hands to his eye-level, and stared at them as if they weren't his own. Had anything else changed? Just what exactly had happened to him?

"What... W-What is this?" He muttered beneath his breath.

Before he could find the answer himself, a high-pitched squeal pierced his eardrums. Cabba turned toward the source of the noise, and eyed over Caulifla as she swiftly approached him. That look of shock that he had noticed earlier was no longer present upon her expression; instead, Caulifla jumped up into the air with an overjoyed shout of enthusiasm, her eyes glittering brightly with admiration, entrancement, and pride. She was so excited, eyes so wide, that she looked like she was about to burst into tears.

Cabba had only seen this overly exuberant reaction from her once before: When he had first demonstrated his Super Saiyan transformation to her, all those months ago.

With sparks literally flying from her hair in excitement, Caulifla pointed a finger at her friend as she singled out the answer to his aforementioned question.

"You did it, Cabba!" She fawned. "You've reached Super Saiyan Three! Amazing!"

The male blinked a single time as he took a moment to register that. "Super Saiyan Three?" He repeated.

"Yeah! That's the same form that Goku used in the Tournament of Power!"

Cabba stared down at his hands once again. He hadn't gotten the opportunity to see Goku's Super Saiyan Three transformation, as Caulifla had, let alone fight against it. As such, this great power was new to him. He didn't know what to think of it. Past his shell of bewilderment, however, a primal fire of satisfaction burned in his heart: A desire to utilize the abilities of this new form while he still could. In that moment, he thought back to how his master, Vegeta, had once told him that a Saiyan's inner lust for battle could only be held down for so long. Cabba had no idea where his master was right now, but he had a good feeling that he would be proud of him, if he were here to see this.

"This power is... Unreal." He murmured.

The Saiyan took a moment to appreciate the amount of power flowing through his body. Warm waves of energy wafted from his form, and the electricity that encircled him crackled around through his hair, leaving tingling sensations lingering across the skin on his scalp. The transformation started to feel more natural, and less forced: His body was gradually getting used to it. This fact, paired with the growing anxiety to test out his newfound form, ultimately led to Cabba realizing what he needed to demonstrate.

Raising his right arm toward the sky above him, Cabba proceeded to project a large ball of yellow energy high into the air. With a sizzling wheee of speed, the sphere of power sailed into the atmosphere before detonating with an explosion of golden light that filled the sky like a second sun. Past the sound of the commotion, Cabba heard Caulifla stifle a yelp of awe. When the brightness of the energy burst died down, a massive hole in the clouds high above could be seen from miles away - the effect of such a tremendous output of Ki on the environment. The male Saiyan lowered his arm and let out a calming exhale of content before glancing over towards his female counterpart.

"How was that?" He asked of her.

The look on Caulifla's face was all that he really needed to know. She shifted her gaze from the scene of the previous explosion back to that of Cabba himself. He was smiling at her; an infectious grin that couldn't help but cause Caulifla to sprout her own smile. That shining look in her eyes started to surface again, and she then rushed forward towards her sparring partner. Even with his newfound strength, Cabba was admittedly caught off guard when Caulifla grabbed his shoulders and shook him around wantingly.

"I can feel such amazin' power!" Caulifla gushed, her eyes sparkling with admiration. "You have to teach me! Please!"

Cabba wasn't sure if he really could, in all honesty.

"I-I don't know..." He stammered. "Training like this will only get us so far!"

"C'mon, Cabba! Please! We have to try! Keep training with me!"

It was hard for the male Saiyan to say no to those pleading eyes. Besides, Caulifla had incredible amounts of natural talent: If anyone had the potential, it would be her. It might not happen today, or tomorrow, but when Caulifla finally managed to break through her own limits and ascend, the transition would undoubtedly be an impressive one.

Cabba swallowed back his apprehension. "Alright, let's give it a shot!" He announced with a raised fist.

"Right!"

Immediately, Caulifla jumped back and assumed an offensive fighting stance. Cabba willed the power that flowed through his body to manifest itself into his strength, and with a great leap forward that caused the very ground beneath his feet to crumble into bits, he rushed at his opponent with renewed speed and aggression. Despite being in a lower class of power than her foe, Caulifla held her ground proudly, and fought back as best she could. Yet for as strong as she was, she was no match for Cabba's latest new ascension. Blow after blow, little by little, she began to lose her stamina. Again, Caulifla wished that that silly excuse for a Supreme Kai would fork over the Potara earrings, but deep down, she knew that her fusion had been a one-time thing: A desperate last call for an equally desperate universe. If she wanted to increase her power and get stronger, she'd have to do it on her own. No special boosts from divine influence, magic items, or ace-in-the-hole tactics. Just grit, determination, and a whole lot of pain.

For another four minutes or so, the two Saiyans continued their sparring session with fervid determination. However, their limits were reached as quickly as they were drawn: Cabba's new transformation ate away at his endurance like a wildfire, and Caulifla's own body began to ache and creak with pain. Their fighting session was brief, but didn't go without any meaningful lessons: Caulifla was swiftly overwhelmed by Cabba's realized power. She was proud of him, and deeply longed to reach that form for herself, yet when her muscles began to ache and the dust settled down, she came to the conclusion that there would be no new transformation for her yet: More practice was needed.

Her time would come. That much she was dead certain of.

Soon enough, the two Saiyans fell to their backs simultaneously, too exhausted to continue their duel. The aura of Caulifla's Super Saiyan Two evaporated into mist. Likewise, Cabba's hair shrunk down to its normal mass, and that glorious golden glow that had filled him with so much strength just minutes earlier, left him, leaving little else but a throbbing soreness throughout his entire body. They both heaved in copious amounts of oxygen with each breath, yet once they managed to regain their bearings, helped one another to their feet before setting out for a more appealing place of rest. Cabba and Caulifla chose to hike to a nearby rocky summit that had miraculously remained untouched during the intensity of their sparring match. Once they reached its peak, they made themselves comfortable beneath a single, lonely tree that grew at the peak.

"Tch... All this training is really takin' its toll." Caulifla muttered as she lowered herself to the ground with a grunt. Her spiky hair, now its normal color, was full of dried twigs.

Cabba nodded as he sat down beside her. "I'm sorry that I wasn't able to help you reach Super Saiyan Three." He blurted. "I mean, I'm sure you can achieve it, I just-"

He trailed off as his female counterpart's laughter filled his ears. It was full and hearty, yet sweet, and good-natured; just like her. The male had grown to adore that laugh.

"There's no need to apologize, Cabba." Caulifla claimed. "It ain't your fault. I just need to train more, thas'all!"

Smiling warmly, Cabba nodded his head once again in a gesture of agreement. "Right! We'll get there together!" He promised.

At that, the two Saiyans shared a sturdy fist-bump; knuckles clacking together and mending, just like their twin resolves. With eachother, they could achieve great things!

And they were sure as hell bent on trying.

Time passed, and the two titular Saiyans lounged silently in relaxation as they recovered their lost energy, and recovered from their physically taxing sparring match.

The grass beneath them was soft and healthy, and the shade of the tree paired alongside the ever encroaching night helped cool down their heated bodies. Together, they watched the sun as it slowly set beneath the horizon; dappling the sky with a miasma of red, yellow, and even purple colors that cast elongated shadows through the clouds.

"So, what was it?" Caulifla said, at last breaking the tranquil silence between the two Saiyans.

Cabba furrowed his brow. "What was what?" He asked in clarification.

"You once told me that anger could be used to unlock higher levels of power." Caulifla elucidated. "You looked pretty angry back there. So what was it?"

There it was at last. Cabba had figured that Caulifla would ask him about that. She was a highly curious person, after all, but that didn't prevent the young male from feeling apprehensive of supplying a proper answer to her question. Truth was, he had grown very close to her over the past few months, and the mere idea of losing her made him nervous. It was the anger and emotional surge that accompanied the thought of watching his friends die that had brought out his inner power, and allowed him to transform into a Super Saiyan Three. It wasn't exactly something that he wanted to say out loud. Cabba lowered his gaze, wondering if he should tell her. Then again, the fact that he had grown so close to her in the first place only helped reinforce the belief that he could tell her anything. If he couldn't trust her, he couldn't trust anyone, not even himself.

He sighed wistfully, and made his decision without a single regret to show.

"I... I was thinking about you."

"Hm?" Caulifla hummed curiously. One of her eyebrows cocked upwards in a skeptical manner.

Cabba swallowed hard. Was it getting warmer? He swiftly stuttered;

"Well, n-not just you, but, uh... A lot of things, actually."

"Oh? Do tell." The female Saiyan said in response.

Exhaling through his nostrils, Cabba steeled himself for what was to come, and proceeded to explain what had happened as best he could;

"Back when we were sparring, I started thinking about the Tournament of Power... All of the things that we went through... How I couldn't prevent our universe from getting erased... Couldn't prevent us from getting erased. The powerlessness of it all angered me, but what really triggered the transformation... Was the thought of losing you."

Cabba raised his head and locked eyes with Caulifla.

"I couldn't bear to imagine losing you..." He confessed. "Losing everything like that ever again."

When the last word was uttered, Cabba firmly held his gaze with Caulifla, even in spite of how much he wanted to look away. He took note of how his female counterpart's mouth hung ever-so slightly agape, and how her eyes shimmered as though she were just handed a block of gold; grateful, certainly, but rather unsure of what to do with it.

A few short seconds passed, yet each individual moment felt like an eternity.

Finally, Caulifla gave a more proper response: She closed her eyes and smiled. It was a simple gesture, yet it filled Cabba's heart with relief.

"Don't you worry about me, Cabba," She said before opening her eyes once more and meeting the male's gaze. "I mean, with all this new power, we can beat anyone, right?"

The male allowed himself a slight chuckle. "Yeah, we sure can." He concurred.

For a brief minute, there was a blanket of silence filled only by the buzz of the insects through the grass, and the careful breaths of the two Saiyans. No words were said.

In his mind, though, Cabba thought back once again to Frieza's sinister threats. He remembered how easily that creature had overpowered him even in his Super Saiyan Two form. Indeed, if he were going to have to protect the ones that he cared for, he would have to get even stronger. Training alongside Caulifla was the best way to achieve it. In the few short months that they had been working together, both of their power levels had bolstered significantly. Just what else could they accomplish, given time to act?

He was eager to find out, and eager to reach new heights beside his friends.

"Cabba," Caulifla called out, effectively derailing his train of thought, and putting an end to the preceding moment of silence. "You know... I feel the same way."

Another momentary period of silence, this one being only a few seconds long.

"You... You do?" He finally asked.

"Yeah. You might not realize it, but you've been a very..." She hesitated, struggling to find the proper words. "Dependable friend." She finalized.

From the way she said it, Cabba had a feeling that those two words weren't something that Caulifla thought of, far less vocalized, very often.

"You really think so, Caulifla?"

The female Saiyan's expression lit up with amusement and pride when Cabba's words reached her ears. She laughed, finding it hard to believe that he could be so clueless.

"Of course! You were the one that taught me how to go Super Saiyan, and recruited Kale and I for the Tournament of Power! Even though we were erased, it was still the best fun I've had in years! Without you, I never would have gotten this far. Never would have met the Old Man and Vegeta, and never would have learned so much. I'd still be sitting in that warehouse with all of those punk losers, wastin' my potential. You're one of my best friends, Cabba. The only other person who can even compare is Kale."

She paused, taking a moment to let out a sigh of weariness. Cabba noticed that her expression had slackened over the course of her explanation. She promptly continued;

"No one else in that thuggish gang of weaklings showed me a fraction of the respect that you two have." Caulifla admitted slowly. "You and Kale are all I really have."

Cabba wasn't sure what to say. For as much as he had wanted to confess his feelings for her, the young Saiyan hadn't expected Caulifla to do the very same. He was kind of surprised that Caulifla, this rough-and-tough former hooligan, was capable of such an outpouring of personal thoughts. Sure, over the past few months of their training, he had managed to chip away at her usually hardened exterior and learn more about her inner feelings, but this was about as close as he'd ever seen her get to true, mutual affection. Caulifla wasn't exactly the flowery, emotional Saiyan woman that most others seemed to be. She had said similar words to Kale during the Tournament of Power, during which they had shared a strong, sisterly moment that had ultimately assisted in Kale managing to overcome the chaotic instincts of her berserker form, and achieve mastery over her mysterious powers. Cabba knew that Caulifla was plenty capable of more affectionate moments, but this one must have been quite the telling experience, for her to say so much, and in such a way, as she did to him right then and there. Cabba was quite flattered, thinking about how high of a regard she must have held for him.

After all, this was Caulifla that he was thinking of; the same Saiyan who'd sooner kick in an enemy's teeth than make peace with them.

The male Saiyan took much appreciation in the fact that she could be so open around him when she wanted to. It was definitely a good sign of their strong friendship.

Yet even the apprehension that he felt then, during Caulifla's admission, was nothing compared to how he felt after what happened next.

Sporting a spunky grin across her face all the while, Caulifla closed her eyes, leaned forward, and planted a fleeting smooch on one of his cheeks. Cabba felt his spine tense in a flight-or-flight response, and his body stiffen like a wood board. He let out a surprised squeak, and immediately began to feel his face pool up with blood in embarrassment. Cabba blinked a single time, trying to figure out whether or not he had imagined what had just happened. If he was a kettle, he was pretty sure that he would be steaming.

Soon after, Caulifla's voice filled his eardrums, and he glanced towards her as she concluded her previous statement with a few final words.

"Thank you for being my friend, Cabba." She said warmly.

All of the blood in Cabba's head then rushed down and spread throughout his body, leaving him in an almost dizzying state of mind. He blinked hard, and proceeded to lock eyes with Caulifla. She was still staring at him with that warm gaze that so seldom surfaced past her typically gruff exterior. Cabba had grown to much appreciate Caulifla's personality in all of its forms, including her frequent feistiness and anger, but when she was relaxed, calm, and content, he had to admit that she was startlingly beautiful.

Cabba swallowed back his diffidence. "You're welcome, Caulifla." He managed. Simple words, perhaps, yet filled with truth and meaning. "I am glad to be your friend."

The two Saiyans simply stared into one another's eyes. Just as soon, though, Cabba found himself shyly glancing away. He then felt a yawn surface from the back of his throat: A deep, strong stretch of the jaw that caused the sides of his eyes to water with satisfaction. He took a moment to eye over the setting sun, which was now nearly obscured from sight behind the horizon. The night sky was becoming ever more visible, and with it, a vast conglomeration of stars and planets that twinkled high above.

He couldn't deny the fact that he was tired.

"We should probably be getting back to the dojo," Cabba suggested. "The landlord will be wondering what took us so long out here."

That much was true enough: When he and Goku had arrived on Planet Sadala, the two of them were offered stay at a luxurious dojo on the outskirts of the capitol for as long as they decided to remain in the sixth universe. During their time on Sadala, Cabba, Kale and Caulifla had trained there with them frequently, before ultimately deciding to move out to a more rural area where they could practice without worrying about little things like punching through a wall, or blowing up a building on accident. Stuff like that.

The five Saiyans camped out in the desolate wilderness by themselves for several weeks before Goku and Vegeta returned to their home universe to be with their families, promising to rearrange further training at a later date. Despite all that, the dojo's landlord was happy to rent out the place for whenever Cabba, Kale, or Caulifla needed a cheap place to stay. The three Saiyans would frequently meet up there for training and mingling. Only downside was that the landlord was picky about knowing wherever they were whenever they weren't staying at the dojo, as he didn't seem to trust that they would pay for the hospitality if they suddenly flew off into the frontier without call.

Caulifla blew a stream of air from her nostrils. "Eh, let him wonder. Let's go back to my place, instead." She insisted.

"Huh? Why?"

"Cuz it's closer, that's why." The female retorted as she lightly flicked Cabba's forehead. "Besides, I'm in the mood for some privacy. Forget the big city."

Cabba took a moment to think over her offer. He had visited Caulifla's home before: It was a small rocky building not too far off from where she used to rob food trucks with her old gang. It was in a pretty bad part of the town, of which lay on the outskirts of a nearby city. Cabba pondered over his options, and then looked over towards Caulifla.

"Oh, you want me to... Come with you?"

Rolling her eyes, Caulifla pat her male counterpart on the back a single time. "C'mon, Cabba, I could use some company."

There was something in her smile that made him a bit nervous, but Cabba chose to ignore his rather persistent diffidence.

Truth be told, Cabba didn't mind spending the night with Caulifla. He had done it a few times before, though never without Kale, as a point of fact. Her home was cozy, but not the most spacious of residential areas. Still, it definitely beat having to choke out some half-witted excuse for sneaking out to train to the old landlord over at the dojo.

Spend the night with the girl that he had just shared a kiss with, or deal with the geriatric wrath of the dojo's proprietor? Easy choice.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming." He said with a smile. "Let's get going."

The two Saiyans picked themselves up from the ground and brushed the dirt off of their bodies. As they activated the Ki in their bodies and flew off into the dark sky, Cabba spared one last glance at the cliff that had been their resting place amidst a wasteland of destruction. It was the only outcrop of rock in a quarter mile radius that hadn't been blasted to smithereens by the sheer intensity of their earlier training. The tree that sprouted atop the highest peak billowed in the wind, as if it were waving farewell to them.

Cabba smiled, and then turned his gaze forward, eager on seeing just what the night was to create.

A quarter of an hour later, the two young Saiyans touched down in the yard of a small house formed of misshapen boulders and wood.

The arid terrain of the landscape, paired with the run-down look of the neighborhood gave off an impression of danger and warning, yet both Cabba and Caulifla waltzed straight into the home without a second thought. It was nothing that they hadn't done before. Besides, if there were any muggers prowling about, well, they were nothing that couldn't be handled. Once inside, Caulifla closed the door shut and locked it with finality before turning around and stretching out her arms above her head; her limber body bending to the side as she worked out the weariness in her muscles. While she stretched, Cabba admired the supple atmosphere of Caulifla's home: It was small and cozy, ovular in shape with a number of small rooms branching to the side here and there. There were only three small, circular windows in the entire house. The place was decorated with old treasures that its owner had collected over the years as a thief: Small rocks, jewelry, gilded furniture, smooth wood, and stacks of food all over the place.

Caulifla cracked her neck and then set out towards the bathroom. She gestured for Cabba to follow.

"Go take a shower before you do anything else. You're filthy." She ordered.

Cabba chuckled nervously. "You're kinda dirty yourself, too." He muttered.

"Huh?" Caulifla growled, perking up and glaring at her male counterpart.

"Oh, ah, n-nothing!" He quickly said. "Don't mind me, just getting ready."

The male hustled into the bathroom before Caulifla flipped the door closed behind him with a flick of her wrist. She shook her head and sighed before shuffling off to go find something to drink. Inside the washroom, Cabba removed his armor and promptly turned on the hot water in the shower nook. He smiled, thinking back to Caulifla's earlier reaction. Her temper occasionally got the better of her, and sometimes she had little sense of personal space, but Cabba had to admit that he didn't really mind when she got like that. He thought she was beautiful, even when she was up in his face about something. Alongside that, he could frequently catch a whiff of her strong, earthen scent; a jasmine smell sprinkled with salt, almost. It often rubbed off on him whenever she gave him a hug, or put him in a choke-hold. With her, there wasn't much of a difference.

Meanwhile, Caulifla gulped down a glass of water before washing off her face and arms. She exchanged her ratted, battle-torn clothes for a new, identical pair, though she had a feeling that she wouldn't need them for very long, if things went down the way she hoped them too. Caulifla stole a glance back at the restroom, where white steam seeped out from beneath the crack in the closed door. Somewhere behind it, she heard Cabba whistling to himself, and snickered as she thought back to a time when she had accidentally walked in on Cabba trying to sing while he showered. She had never let him forget, and thanks to her teasing, he must have decided to settle with mere whistles.

As soon as she was all cleaned up, Caulifla plopped down on a nearby beanbag chair; sinking into the thing before lolling her head back and staring up at the ceiling. She thought back to other memories that she had shared with her good friend: The time that he had first shown her Super Saiyan, the unwavering ambition that he displayed during the Tournament of Power, and the look in his eyes as he realized that he had been resurrected from erasure were all just a few of many different notable moments.

When she had first met Cabba, Caulifla saw him as nothing more than a necessary liability, and a way for her to get stronger. Yet over the course of the Tournament of Power, her stance on him had changed greatly. The way that he had stood up for her and Kale during Monna's rampage, and Frieza's surprise attack had left Caulifla with a resounding feeling of gratitude. Without the sacrifice that Cabba's elimination had provided, she never would have recovered the stamina to stand against her aggressors. His final push was one of the more notable moments of Cabba's great courage and heart, and his concern and consideration towards Caulifla was something that she greatly admired in him. During her gang-banging days, not a single person showed her proper respect, save for Kale herself, yet then came Cabba, who was willing to sacrifice his place on the team to give Caulifla an extra minute to recover her power, and continue to fight. If that wasn't a good enough show of honor, then she didn't know what was.

Their time training together had only increased the bond between Cabba and Caulifla. The latter soon began to suspect that her male counterpart was developing deeper feelings than simple friendship for her. The way that he acted around her, and portrayed himself only seemed to match her growing suspicions. Mutually, Caulifla couldn't help but harbor her own dose of affection for Cabba: His steely determination and steadfast resolve were attractive to her, and she even started to find his timid nature to become endearing, as well. At first, she thought relatively little of her growing admiration and affection for Cabba. They were just friends, right? What else could they be?

But soon, she found herself expressing her thoughts and concerns on the matter with Kale, her best friend. Before she had left to go on her self-discovering journey, she had shared an insightful conversation with Caulifla. When the latter brought up her feelings towards Cabba, Kale had seemed almost envious, at first, but ultimately told her to do whatever made her happy. Being as protective and territorial as she was, Caulifla was surprised that Kale had offered out such selfless advice so easily. That made her proud.

Caulifla only wished that Kale were still here, if only to help make sense of the thoughts that ailed her. Having someone to discuss this to in an open manner was a privilege.

That whole debacle had been nearly two months ago, by now. In the time since, Caulifla had only grown more certain and trusting of her feelings and instincts. She couldn't deny that she felt an attraction to Cabba. The past few months had only further solidified their trust, respect, and appreciation in one another, but Caulifla still felt as though something wasn't quite right, as of yet: She felt that she needed to express her gratitude to him, somehow. After all, Cabba had been the one to start the domino effect that had changed her life for the better: He had came to her, taught her Super Saiyan, and brought her on an adventure that had completely given her a new outlook on her life.

Indeed, the Tournament of Power was the most fun that she had had in years on end, even if she wound up getting erased. But hey, she got better, so there was no problem.

No longer did she intend on letting her potential waste away among the punks of that old gang of hers. Instead, she would harness her talents alongside her real friends.

If Caulifla was going to thank anyone for her success, fun, and newfound strength, it would be Cabba. Not Champa, Vados, or anyone else. Just Cabba, plain and simple.

Over time, as Caulifla became more sure of her feelings, and started hanging out with Cabba more often, she had tried dropping some subtle hints and nods on her interests to him. He never seemed to catch on. Typical, innocent Cabba. He was a strong and inspiring fighter, but he could be so naive, sometimes. Caulifla found it amusing, and in the end, it just made her even more determined to beat off his shyness, and overcome his timid nature. She wanted to show her appreciation for all of his dependable faith and friendship. Being friends with him was a welcome thought, but she wanted even more: If they could be friends, perhaps some extra benefits could be added into the mix.

Truth was, Caulifla had been somewhat lonely during her time as a petty criminal. None of the other members in her gang really respected her, save for Kale, of course, who was and always would be her best friend. Most of the others were just opportunists; which was respectable enough, considering that she considered herself one as well. Still, it prevented her from forming any real connections with any of them beyond simple comradery. She did try dating a few of them, but they never seemed to really care or even understand her. It never ended up working out. They had always tried to possess her, yet didn't understand that she was a free spirit of a Saiyan. Hell, it was one of the reasons that being a criminal appealed to her so much in the first place: To rely on nobody but herself, and to stake her own claim in the world that she had grown to loathe.

Cabba wasn't the possessive type - if anything, he was about was carefree and respectful towards others as they came- and Caulifla liked that about him. Yet at the same time, he could assert himself and take control of a situation with truly effective command and admirable leadership. Must have been one of the reasons why he joined the planet's military force. Caulifla chuckled softly to herself: The idea of an army brat like him pairing up with a street rat like her was quite ironic, and almost poetic, in a sense.

Before meeting Cabba, the only real relationship that Caulifla had had with the Sadala Special Forces was that of a parasitic one: She used her strength to work with her gang to rob food trucks from the army, and distribute whatever goods they acquired to the poor of the neighborhood, though not without taking some shares for herself, of course. The infrequent lost or shortcut-searching armored truck was easy prey, if they wound up driving through her neck of the woods. Caulifla would even give out the tiny boxes of candy that were occasionally stocked inside the vehicles to the underprivileged children of the area. Better to end up in the hands of the hardworking youngsters, rather than the bratty nephews and nieces of the king of Sadala. They could get off just fine without the extra calories. Besides, it was nice to see the kid's faces light up whenever she gave out food.

Caulifla smiled. She may have left her gang to further heighten her own abilities and interests, but she figured that they were dealing with the thievery and food just fine. And now, here she was in the present, yet so far into the future: She never could have imagined that she'd have became such good friends with a member of the same military that she used to steal from, for so long. Her time in that gang had been memorable, sure, but looking back on it, she much preferred this new lifestyle of hers. She had two amazing friends, and a mountain of goals to sort through. Caulifla had every intention on achieving said goals, all the while working alongside her two best friends.

And that was good enough for her.

A sudden jostle of movement caught her attention from the corner of her eyes. Caulifla rolled her head over and stared at Cabba as he fully opened the door to the restroom, and stepped out with a white towel wrapped around his lower body. The female Saiyan had been so preoccupied with her own thoughts that she hadn't even noticed when Cabba had turned off the shower. Thanks to the hot water, his dark hair was slick and shiny, and his lithe body was now devoid of any unwanted dirt and detritus. The lean muscle on Cabba's upper body glistened from its rinse in the shower, and Caulifla had to resist the urge to stare as her male counterpart shuffled into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of cold water. Her eyes traced the movements of his arms as he brought the glass to his lips and proceeded to drink. Caulifla took note of his relaxed posture.

She then asked. "So, you all clean now? Don't think for a moment that I'm letting anyone else's dirt other than mine, around here."

Cabba smiled as he registered his friend's statement. He set down his glass and swallowed his mouthful of water.

"Don't worry, I'm clean, I'm clean. What about you, though?" He asked. "You gonna take a shower? I might have used up all the hot water."

"Me? Nah, I'm good. Lil' rinse in the sink worked well enough."

Nodding his head in understanding, the male Saiyan then approached the nearby couch, likely planning on making himself comfortable. Caulifla stood up and called out;

"You don't have to sleep on the couch tonight."

"Huh?" Cabba acknowledged. "You don't want me to sleep on the floor, do you? I told you I was clean."

"No no, it's not that," Caulifla interjected. "I was just thinking, well..."

She raised her forearms in a shrugging gesture, and stated;

"It can get pretty cold at night, here. I was wondering if you'd like to sleep with me, instead."

That comment took a moment to sink in. Caulifla hoped that she wasn't blushing: Cabba sure was.

"You... I..." He stifled. "What?"

The female then busted out laughing. She couldn't help it. Caulifla placed her palms on her kneecaps as her chortles reverberated throughout the house.

"Oh, Cabba, you should have seen the look on your face." She wheezed as she quickly took the time to recompose herself.

Sighing wistfully, Caulifla approached him and took one of his hands. His first reaction was to slightly pull back, but he immediately slackened and let Caulifla grip his palm.

"I mean what I said." The female claimed reassuringly. "You're welcome to join me, if you're interested."

Cabba swallowed nervously. "I-I'd be okay with that." He stammered.

The female Saiyan grinned to herself. Truth was, Caulifla had never made an offer like that to anyone before: She wasn't some offhand floozy, or anything like that. Casual intercourse with other Saiyans was never something that she took part in. With Cabba, however, she felt a special connection - One worth consummating together with him.

Smirking, Caulifla administered a hip-check against the side of Cabba's body. He almost dropped his towel on accident. From there, the female Saiyan then pulled him along towards her bedroom, on the other side of the little house. She had a slight spring in her step, and when the two Saiyans reached the private chamber, she closed the curtain door shut in their wake. The temperature of the room was surprisingly cold: Caulifla had been right in her earlier claim. There were a bunch of pillows stacked around the room, and the bed, like the windows and even the house itself, had an almost oval shape to it. The sheets were thick and dark blue, and a mound of cushions piled at the crown.

The male Saiyan started shivering. He felt rather under-dressed in his thin white towel. Cabba raised his head and locked eyes with Caulifla, who was eyeing over his form.

"You look flustered." She said flatly.

"No I don't." Cabba replied immediately.

Caulifla sighed. This wasn't going as she had intended. If she wanted to get her point across, she's have to be less subtle, and more compatable.

She then stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. Her grip was sturdy, yet reassuring. She spoke softly;

"It's okay, Cabba. Just relax. You're my friend, and I trust you. Don't forget that."

The female's arms then reached around and pulled her male counterpart into a hug. It was awkward at first, but Cabba quickly unwound, and found himself sighing in relief. He wrapped his own arms around Caulifla's shoulders, and pulled her close. The heat from her body caused the chill on his skin to waft away; warmth sunk into his muscles, and he felt a contented sigh work its way out from his maw. When Caulifla realigned herself with him, their vision locked together, and they spent a moment calmly staring.

Their gaze bore deep into one another's eyes. So close, their lips nearly touched; just grazing in the slightest amount. Hot breaths lapped against eachother's noses, radiating an ever-building sense of want and restlessness. Experimentally, Cabba leaned forward and closed the distance between the two of them. His mouth pecked softly against Caulifla's, and to his surprise, she kissed back. Caulifla's tongue poked out and dappled on the side of his mouth before slipping in, their lips locking together in a fervid kiss. A tugging sensation pulled at a spot somewhere deep in Cabba's gut, and he felt his hands press against the small of her back. For a moment, it was just the two of them.

A jolt or realization struck Cabba, and he pulled away from the kiss. He noticed how Caulifla leaned forward wantingly as he leaned back. Now, he finally saw the motive.

"Caulifla... I don't know. I want to, I really do, but... I'm not..." He faltered. "I'm just-"

"Now there you go, sounding like Kale." Caulifla interjected. "I'm just. She said that way too often. Don't you start on me too, now, Stringbean."

"I-I mean, I've never even-" Cabba started, but was cut off when his friend growled beneath her breath.

"If you want to, then prove it. I dare you." The female snarked. "Live a little!"

Cabba gulped again, but he couldn't help smiling. Slowly, carefully, he leaned closer to Caulifla, and placed his hands on her sides. A simple touch; symbolizing his desire, yet reluctance to give in to it. Their eyes met once again, and the two Saiyans failed to resist the temptation to close the distance between them. Their lips smushed together with a slight smeck sound, and the psychological barriers that had been erected began to crumble. Cabba detected the smell of Caulifla's pheromones as they filled his nostrils and clouded the air around them. Once more, the tugging sensation in his gut pulled at his being, yet this time, he did not resist. Cabba lifted his hands and placed them behind Caulifla's back. Meanwhile, the female Saiyan continued her feverish kissing before momentarily parting and pulling off the tube-top that she wore around her upper body. Her breasts spilled out and pressed against the male's chest. Arousal grew within her, and she promptly stripped herself of her remaining clothes before yanking off the towel from Cabba's waist. She tossed it to the side before pulling him in for another passionate round of kissing. Caulifla's immense mass of spiky black hair stood on end and tingled in sensation as Cabba stroked his palms up the length of her back, and held her close against his own body. The cold chill of the room seemed nonexistent.

Heat built between them, and months of pent-up passion and desire was finally ready to burst forth.

Stepping forward slightly and losing their combined balance, both Saiyans toppled over and onto the mattress. The two of them shifted their combined weight upon the soft surface of the bed, wrinkling the dark-blue sheets as they readjusted themselves properly, all the while continuing their amatory make out session; Their lips interlocking lovingly to a chorus of wet smacking sounds, and their fingertips running along the skin of their respective counterparts, causing sweet and diverse tingling sensations to shiver along across their nervous systems, hair standing on end in its pleasurable wake. Cabba pushed himself into the bed's center, and Caulifla promptly crept over him.

"Is this, uh... What we-" The male began, but trailed off as his friend interrupted him;

"You underestimate yourself, Cabba." Caulifla claimed. "Just relax. Enjoy the moment." She then smiled mischievously. "I'll show you how it's done."

Soon enough, they had established a comfortable starting position: Cabba lying back down on the bed, with Caulifla situated on top, looking down on her partner. The female Saiyan intended on starting things slow, so as to steadily build up to the much anticipated release, but also because she didn't want to dismay or unsettle Cabba: She knew that he was naturally shy, and that he probably had never undergone such an intimate coupling before. She had a feeling that he was still feeling rather unsure of himself.

Caulifla didn't want him to be afraid or intimidated by anything, and so, she sought to start slowly and steadily as the two of them worked their way up, one step at a time.

She began by rubbing and massaging at his bare chest, the rigid surface of which was lined with several large scars; likely from past scuffles that he had dealt with while serving in the Sadala Special Forces. The muscles in his abdomen bulged outwards as he inhaled a deep breath of air into his lungs before letting out a blissful sigh of relief.

Caulifla frequently teased Cabba with nicknames such as 'Stringbean', and 'Stick-Saiyan', but she had to admit that he was fit: He wasn't ripped, per say, but his body was taut with lean muscle that rippled with his every movement. Old battle scars were etched across his chest and ribcage. Ever since the two of them had started training together, Caulifla had begun to notice that Cabba's physique was, in actuality, much more athletic than what his usual outfit revealed, or more accurately, lack thereof. She never would have guessed that he would have had much to show beneath the flappy old leather and metal plates of that Sadala Special Forces armor that he often sported.

Looking down at him, Caulifla smiled as she took note of his loosening movements and unwinding temperament: He was getting aroused by her massaging. Thinking back on it, the female Saiyan reminisced to old daydreams she had envisioned of moments like this: Her and Cabba getting cozy together, and bedding down, just like now. Having an active imagination was both a curse and a blessing, it would seem. In the past, she had had concerns about the idea of mating with him. For one thing, there was pregnancy.

Thankfully, Caulifla wouldn't have to worry about any unwanted pregnancy. Back during her gangbanger days, she had ultimately decided upon getting her tubes tied so that she would never have to be concerned about the burden of motherhood. Sure, it may have been rather reckless for her to make such an important decision when she was as young as she was, but she had no intention on becoming a parent: Caulifla didn't want that kind of weight and responsibility dragging her down. Better to be a free spirit.

Caulifla recalled the time that Cabba had first found out. The two of them were preparing for an intense workout regime with some warm-up stretches when Caulifla had leaned back just enough to expose the surgical scars that were hidden right below her belt-line. They were usually out of sight, but since Cabba must have been staring (she couldn't blame him), he had managed to catch a look at them after all. Curious, he promptly asked her what they were. At first, Caulifla had scoffed, and told him to mind his own business, but later on after their workout had ended, she felt generous enough to humor his inquisitiveness, and told him everything about her choice to tie her tubes.

As expected, he was understanding of her decision, and didn't ridicule her for her considerably rash resolution. Typical of Cabba to play the good egg. Though, as much as she liked to tease him over his compassionate nature, Caulifla had to admit that it felt nice not to be judged so swiftly. It was one of the things that she liked the most about him, along with his compassionate nature, and yes, even his shyness had become endearing to her, over time. Most of the females of her race would have scorned Caulifla for tampering with her body in such a way: They would have berated her for going against the norm, especially since she was stronger than them; for strong Saiyan women were expected to help maintain the bloodline, and make equally strong babies. Not Caulifla, though: She wasn't at all willing to give over her personal liberties that easily.

In the end, she held no regrets over her decision, and ever since, tried as often as possible to work against the status quo; if only to help reinforce her own rebellious soul.

Her mind pulled itself back to the present. She figured that now was a good point to continue their intimate progress, and get one step closer to that final release.

As her back straightened out, Caulifla took grasp of Cabba's hands before guiding them along the length of her thighs, and resting them on the sides of her hips. She then squeezed his palms before letting go and allowing him to take command of his own motions. The male slid his fingers over the smooth skin on her waist and sides, all the while relishing in the well-structured proportions of her curvature. He reached around and caressed at Caulifla's rump, causing her to smile and bite her lower lip in salacious indulgence. After getting the knack down for his own touching, it was pretty clear that Cabba was a real hands-on kinda guy, not that she had anything to object over it.

Indeed, the female Saiyan enjoyed it all very much so; yet as time went on, she only found herself growing more and more wanting. Caulifla's casual grinding soon came to halt, and at last, she lowered herself down upon Cabba, carefully connecting their respective intimate regions together as one; the gratifying point of contact enticing a minuscule shiver from Cabba, and a grimace of pleasurable content from Caulifla. A spark of yellow energy flickered through Cabba's hair as he closed his eyes in indulgence.

The female Saiyan was ailed by a brief, albeit dizzying pang of euphoria that left her feeling lightheaded, and caused a shiver to slither up her spine. When her head had cleared itself, she immediately looked down upon her partner, and from there, a sense of arousal began to develop within her, accompanied by a minor ache of dominance, and control. She snickered slightly to herself: Here, she had one of the most powerful warriors in the sixth universe pinned beneath her, and in her complete and utter whim.

It turned her on just thinking about it.

Yet despite that fact in particular, this whole act between the two of them wasn't just about the pleasure itself; Caulifla recognized that much. This was also about trust, affection, and endearment, to an extent. Caulifla wanted to comfort Cabba, and show him just how much she truly appreciated him and everything that he had done for her as well. For weeks, she had been hoping to beat off his shyness, and show him a good time, and now, she finally had her chance. Caulifla had no intention on letting it go.

Smiling to herself, she arced her back leisurely; grinding her hips against Cabba's once again, though this time quite a bit harder and more forceful than before, causing great ripples of heated pleasure to emanate from their intimate connection, with both Saiyans vocally expressing their satisfaction through sound; The male groaned deep from within his throat, while his female counterpart slightly gasped aloud as their respective nether regions met, and slid deeper together like two pieces of a puzzle that had been designed just for this moment. Cabba felt his teeth grit as Caulifla leaned back, tugging on his length and causing warm waves of euphoria to blossom out in his lower body.

Despite being connected, Caulifla wasn't deterred from leaning down and kissing Cabba square on the nose; his eyes crossing before slowly closing shut in gratification. The female Saiyan then respositioned her face slightly lower, where she pecked her lips against Cabba's own, her tongue poking out and lapping at his mouth, silently asking for entrance. He obliged; parting his lips and allowing Caulifla to slip her tongue inside, where it grappled with his own, wrestling with flavorful skill as their lips sealed together.

For a few moments, it felt as though they were the only two beings in all of existence itself.

Eventually, Caulifla pulled away from the kiss; leaning back and staring down at her partner once more. Her delicate chest rose and fell as her lungs reclaimed the oxygen that she had sacrificed in the act of making out with Cabba. Likewise, he himself took to recovering his breath, all the while resting his hands on the sides of his lover's hips.

"You all good, Cabba?" Caulifla asked breathily, to which her male counterpart nodded swiftly and without sound.

A devious smirk flashed across her youthful countenance. "Good. You sit tight, and just take it all in."

Caulifla then resumed their bout of lovemaking; gyrating and grinding her hips against Cabba's in a steady cycle of pleasure that sent chilling shivers throughout their twin bodies. Hair stood on end as electrifying tingles surged across their skin and inside their bones. The male Saiyan writhed and squirmed beneath the weight of his female counterpart, and tightened his grip on her waistline before exhaling audibly, and proceeding to glide his palms up the sides of Caulifla's body, before ultimately resting them on her chest. He cupped his palms against her breasts and fondled the tips of his fingers around her rib-cage and diaphragm. The female flashed another smug expression down at her partner before removing her hands from his abdomen and placing them atop Cabba's own. She continued to guide his movements as their bodies heated up, and breaths became more and more labored. Caulifla tried her best not to allow her partner to climax too early, and took a pleasurable sense of dominance in the fact that she had him under her full control. Yet still, as time went on, her taxing actions and consistent movements began to catch up with her, and she soon started to grow a bit weary.

She then decided to try and let Cabba take the reigns. He could use the experience, and the female Saiyan figured that the boost to self-esteem wouldn't hurt, either.

"I'm gettin' pretty tired, here." Caulifla admitted. "Why don't you pick up the slack for a while?"

"M-Me?" Cabba stammered. "I-I don't know if I should-"

"Oh, just shut up already." The female Saiyan growled before leaning down and silencing her partner with a kiss.

Having clearly not been expecting such an action, Cabba's facial muscles tightened in apprehension. However, he quickly relaxed, and gave in to the kiss. He felt Caulifla's tongue force its way into his mouth, quite effectively shutting him up. Cabba closed his eyes in bliss, and relished in his senses: The heat from Caulifla's body, the way her muscles shifted beneath her skin, her taste; everything that he could detect. Caulifla then pulled away, severing the connection. She licked her lips and stared down at him.

"See? You're too unsure of yourself!" She chided, though not without a cocky smile playing at the edge of her mouth. "Don't worry, Cabba, you'll do fine!"

At that, the female Saiyan shifted her legs beneath Cabba's waist, and threw her body to the side; rolling across the mattress, and taking Cabba with her. When she put a stop to their combined momentum, the two of them were in a completely different position: this time, with Cabba on top while Caulifla reclined against the surface of the bed. She crossed her arms behind her head in a carefree posture, and stared up at Cabba with a smug look on her face. She had flipped them both over and into a different pose!

"What? You..." The male began, only to trail off as he felt Caulifla lock her ankles behind his back.

"Hope ya don't mind if I make myself comfortable," She teased. "Cuz I'm not lettin' you go 'till you show me a good time."

For a moment, Cabba was too stunned to answer. He chuckled, and then a brusque grin found its way to his face.

"I should have expected this kind of attitude from you, Caulifla." He mused. "But your wish is my command."

The female just kept on smirking. "Then what are you waiting for?" She quipped with a wink for good measure.

Cabba blew a brief stream of air from his nostrils in amusement. He then shifted his weight as he positioned himself for re-entry, and with an exhale of baited breath, he reconnected their intimate bond. Caulifla gave a light grunt as she felt Cabba's member slide through her innards. She closed her eyes and bit down on her lower lip in satisfaction, all the while trying not to show too much of it at the same time: She didn't want to stroke her partner's ego too badly, even if she felt as contended as she did.

"Are you alright?" Cabba found himself asking.

Caulifla detected an inkling of worry in his voice, and appreciated the concern. "Don't worry, Cabba, I'm doin' fine." She assured him.

Sighing blissfully, Caulifla relaxed her body and allowed Cabba to have full control over her. The male planted his palms against the surface of the bed to hold up the weight of his upper body, and leaned closer to his partner, all the while slowly gyrating his hips; gradually getting the hang of his new dominant role. For some time, the two Saiyans simply reveled in the pleasure of the act, but as Cabba started to further assert himself, things only grew from there. What started out as a steady grinding evolved into more forceful thrusts, with speed slowly being built up with each passing minute. Cabba began to breath more heavily, and his being clearly become more feverish; leaning down and kissing at his partner's exposed neck, and shifting his arms beneath her shoulders so as to bring himself closer to her. Passion flared, and heat wound up like a spring.

"Mm... That's it, Cabba..." Caulifla stifled. "You're doing great... K-Keep going."

Cabba continued to ravish at his lover's throat; nibbling in between kisses here and there, all the while becoming steadily more aggressive with his actions. Each thrust that he administered pushed the two of them even further against the mound of pillows that rested at the crown of the bed, and occasionally causing Caulifla to chirp in stimulus as her lover propelled himself deeper, or ground against her at just the right angle. The female Saiyan let out a light moan when Cabba suckled affectionately against the spot just beneath her jaw. Cabba could feel his partner's heartbeat pulsing against him, and as he nipped at her throat, it thrummed energetically in surging excitement.

"Ah, Cabba..." She panted. "Right there... That's it..."

The male groaned lightly in acknowledgement. He sure was acting different: Less timid, and more domineering. His inner sexual instincts were surfacing, and helping to direct his actions. Caulifla was admittedly impressed by the mixture of passion that Cabba emitted: Gentle with his demeanor, yet assertive with his movements. Controlling, yet far from violent. The weight of his body gave Caulifla a much-appreciated sense of security, and the heat that he radiated was very comforting. Ever onward, his motions only became more steadfast, and consistent, with each thrust that he inflicted causing the female Saiyan to grow more and more aroused. Cabba was getting lost in the moment.

Likewise, she too soon succumbed to the building passion; removing her arms from behind her head so that she could wrap them lovingly around Cabba's upper back. Her hands caressed the taut muscles in his shoulders, and she relished in the growing sensation of pleasure that was building in her abdomen, and effecting the rest of her body: Pleasurable chills ran up the length of her spine, leaving tingling sensations that blossomed into shivers of content. Caulifla gripped the base of Cabba's neck and pushed his head lower so that she could kiss his face. He gladly obliged, dipping his forehead down and briefly resting it on Caulifla's own as he took a moment to stare into her eyes.

The female's gaze was filled with want, and entranced in pleasure. Cabba took satisfaction in the fact that they were sharing such an intimate moment with one another.

He seized the opportunity to properly kiss her. At first, Cabba pecked a single time at the edge of her cheek; reminiscent of the kiss that she had given to him on the cliffside at dusk. Then their mouths connected and lips meshed together; tongues dancing in a swirl of flavor to the twin heartbeats of the two lovers. Caulifla relished in the taste of her partner, all the while running her hands up and down the length of his back. She gripped at whatever sturdy ridges of muscle that she could detect, and shifted her legs in the same manner a single time; stroking his lower body with the sides of her ankles like a grasshopper kneading its legs. Cabba breathed out to the side before taking another deep inhale of air and locking mouths with Caulifla once more. Their lips fervidly smacked together, and the heat from their bodies started to become sweltering.

Cabba ran his finger through the thick mass of spiky black hair on Caulifla's head, raking out the knots and lightly tugging on her scalp. She purred in approval, and lifted her hips upwards against her partner's, causing the sexual pressure between them to build, and reach new heights. Another flicker of electricity surged around the male's hair before dissipating, and leaving the faint, metallic scent of ozone in its wake. Caulifla's hands caressed across Cabba's back, and the grip of her ankles tightened around his lumbar. The taste, smells, and feelings that the two Saiyans cherished only helped further propel them to the edge. They were getting close. Very close. Cabba picked up the pace of his thrusting, and plunged his lips against Caulifla's one last time, all the while listening in on her soft moans of content. Their lovemaking had reached its pinnacle.

Euphoria enveloped them both, and at last, all that was left was the fall.

The male's muscles hardened, causing his back and spine to flex as nearly his entire body was suddenly flooded with the most unbridled feeling of pleasure that he had ever experienced. Cabba pulled Caulifla in close as his member began to throb, and all of the hot pressure that had been building up since the start came bursting forth like water from a fractured dam. He underwent a dizzying cycle of contraction and relaxation; groaning lowly into Caulifla's mouth as he felt his body tense and release over and over.

Concurrently, Caulifla clutched Cabba's shoulders tightly as she felt an intense warmth spread within her; pooling in her lower body before flowing even deeper. The muscles in her abdomen tightened, and she relished in her own release as it picked her up and swept her away in a tidal wave of passionate indulgence. She couldn't resist the urge to gasp aloud the moment that Cabba's lips unsealed from her mouth. Caulifla tilted her head back and groped at her lover's body before locking eyes with him once again.

He leaned forward and kissed her on the lips, with Caulifla gladly granting him access. For some time, the two Saiyans simply kissed and caressed one another as their bodies recuperated from their respective climaxes. Feverish movements matched the heat and passion of the atmosphere as the two lovers writhed about; stroking and fondling as the intensity of their previous lovemaking dwindled, and they were both left weary and wanting. Labored pants filled the air as Cabba and Caulifla reclined peacefully on the bed, all the while cuddling together for warmth, even despite the thermal temperament of their twin bodies. Cabba had promptly collapsed atop his female counterpart, and now rested his head on her sternum; calmly listening in on the sounds of her body, from the tranquility of her breathing patterns, to her consistent and hypnotic heartbeat.

Meanwhile, Caulifla scratched at her partner's scalp and ears, smiling to herself as he whimpered contentedly like an exhausted puppy. Hard to believe that this was the same guy who was ravishing her so lovingly just minutes before. The refraction must have hit him hard. Despite that, Caulifla enjoyed his company, and took solace in the warmth of his body and the feeling of his breaths as they lapped against her. Feeling quite drained herself, she proceeded to suck in a few breaths of air before tapping Cabba's neck.

"Not bad, Cabba..." She panted wearily. "Not bad at all."

That was a bit of an understatement on her part. It had amazed her to share such an intimate and pleasurable experience with her dear friend, and to help give him a boost to his confidence, as well. The passion and appreciation between the two was real, and Caulifla had a feeling that there would be more moments like this in the future. She blushed, privately imagining all of the possibilities. They would continue to train and get stronger together, all the while maintaining a casual sexual relationship behind doors.

Yeah, she could definitely get used to that.

Cabba's voice severed her train of thought;

"You really think so, Caulifla?" He asked.

The female Saiyan nodded. "Yeah, it was amazing." She admitted, ruffling at his hair in a sisterly fashion. "You were amazing."

Chuckling to himself, Cabba planted a single kiss on her stomach before shifting his weight forward, closer, and smothering his cheeks against her chest. He then relaxed, closing his eyes and letting out a satisfied sigh. It was nice. He couldn't have asked for anything better. Sleep soon claimed him, and Caulifla too began to nod off as she listened in on the steady, methodical sound of her friend's breath. The nighttime chill gradually crept into the room, but the heat from their twin bodies staved it off proper.

Enveloped in warmth and relaxation, the two Saiyans dozed off and into the night, dreaming of just what tomorrow would bring.

\---

Hey everyone!

I hope that you enjoyed this new story. It definitely isn't like anything else I've ever written, but I did want to try something new, you see, so I figured this would be a fun experiment to delve into. I was right! I very much enjoyed writing this story, and I hope that you all enjoyed reading it, in turn. So, do be sure to let me know what you think! I adore reading over reviews, so feel free to drop one explaining your thoughts and opinions on this story of mine.

What did you think of the writing? Of Caulifla/Cabba's relationship? Would you like to see more chapters? Feel free to tell me! I do like me my reviews.

That's it for now, though. Again, thanks for reading, and do feel free to drop a review explaining your thoughts. I'd like that. Thanks! :)

'Till next time...

Peace!


	2. Ascent

Left to themselves, Cabba and Caulifla had accomplished much.

Following the former's achievement of Super Saiyan Three, the two young Saiyans continued to train together on Planet Sadala, striving for Caulifla to be able to add the much anticipated transformation to her own roster. Another week had past since Cabba's ascension, and still Caulifla had yet to manage it. It felt as though something was missing: Something crucial to the transformation that Caulifla just wasn't experiencing. They came to the solution that they would need some even more advanced training.

And to do so, they decided to call in a favor - Goku and Vegeta.

It had been several months since the two older Saiyans had abandoned Cabba and Caulifla in favor of returning home to their respective families in the seventh universe, but it still angered Caulifla to think that if they would have stuck around just a little bit longer, that she might have been able to reach Super Saiyan Three before Cabba had. Oh well. Whatever the case, there was little since in worrying about it now, for if she was to able to ascend, as Cabba had, then she would need all of her wits about her. Using Vados's enchanted scepter, they had been able to arrange a meeting on Goku and Vegeta's homeworld, a planet known as Earth, so that further training could be underwent.

And now, after days of anticipation and planning, Cabba and Caulifla were at last ready to make the trip to visit Goku and Vegeta in the seventh universe.

On the flight to Universe Seven, the two young Saiyans trailed in a line behind Vados - their own universe's designated Angel - as they soared across the fabric of reality at mind-bending speeds, so fast that the only thing any of them could see was a bright light in all directions. Caulifla sat cross-legged in the middle of the three with her hand pressed against Vados's back. All the while, Caulifla was very aware of Cabba's grasp on her shoulder. She secretly hoped that he'd hold on to her waist, but sadly, he didn't.

In no time at all, the trio had crossed the vast threshold between Universe Six and Universe Seven, and now, made their way to the planet Earth. Soon enough, Vados slowed down their speed, and safely landed the two Saiyans on the surface of their destination with an eruption of white and yellow light. When the dust cleared, the both of them took to time to admire their brand new environment. Cabba blinked, and looked around carefully. Cobbled pathways meandered between patches of green grass and healthy trees. Dome-shaped buildings rose from the ground on all sides - towering above the landscape in a smooth display of concrete and glass. Each building was perfectly built.

Plastered on their sides in bold blue letters read the words: Capsule Corp. Cabba smiled, knowing that they had indeed made it at long last. This was Master Vegeta's home.

Vados bid them a fashionably polite farewell before blasting off into the afternoon sky, leaving the two of them to fend for themselves.

Caulifla took note of a figure approaching them from a nearby gazebo. When she pointed it out to her friend, he couldn't help but grin even wider. Vegeta himself had come to greet them! The older Saiyan's spiky black hair ruffled in the light breeze, and his posture radiated so much confidence and authority that Cabba had to resist the urge to straighten out his spine and throw his hand to his forehead in a steadfast salute. Instead, he stepped forward and approached his master while beckoning Caulifla to follow.

"Master Vegeta!" Cabba began before greeting him with a quick and respectful bow. "It's great to see you again."

The older Saiyan allowed himself a proud smile. "So you finally made it. Good. Now the real training can finally begin."

"Don't tell me that we're gonna start now, are we?" Caulifla interjected, leaning out and into Vegeta's line of sight. "Cuz we just got here, and I could go for some food, first."

Vegeta glanced over and sized-up the female Saiyan standing before him. He started;

"And you must be this supposed friend that Cabba made mention of. Yes, I remember you from the Tournament... Caulifla, was it?"

"That's my name - don't wear it out."

Scoffing in disapproval beneath his breath, Vegeta was just about to retort when another voice stopped him short;

"Yo! Cabba, Caulifla!"

All three of the Saiyans turned toward the source of the surprise greeting: Goku himself, who had also been waiting along with Vegeta for their student's earlier arrival. He approached the group with one of his arms raised in a casual two-fingered salute. Cabba grinned cheerily, but Caulifla instead glared daggers at Goku as he parked himself beside her and pat her on the head. The female Saiyan had been restraining her rage ever since she first saw him, but that was the last straw. She promptly lunged out and sucker-punched Goku right in his gut, causing the older Saiyan to gag and fold over like a lawn chair. Both Vegeta and Cabba gasped in shock, but otherwise didn't interfere.

"Bastard!" Caulifla growled. "You thought you could just run off like that, huh?! You didn't even get us to Super Saiyan Three before you came crawling back to this place!"

"Caulifla, calm down!" Cabba requested. He had figured that his friend was still angry at Goku for leaving them behind on Sadala, but he never imagined she'd go this far.

Goku grit his teeth together in pain, but quickly replaced his look of discomfort with a grin of amusement. "Nice to see you too, Caulifla." He said.

"Hmph." The female Saiyan huffed as she pulled her arm away. "Don't you give me that, you moron."

Caulifla glared at the older Saiyan and raised her hand into the air, ready to smack the back of his head. A brief moment's hesitation caused the anger within her to dissipate. Instead, she just gave up and sighed, deciding that it wasn't even worth the effort. She then crossed her arms behind the back of her head like she was bored and grumbled;

"I'm wasting my breath, aren't I?"

Vegeta laughed heartily. "You'd be lucky to get anything meaningful past this fool's thick skull." He muttered, gesturing to Goku with one of his thumbs.

"Hey, now that's not very nice." Goku complained.

"Don't act so pathetic." Vegeta growled back.

The two older Saiyans continued to jab at one another as Cabba and Caulifla silently watched. They sighed - Goku and Vegeta definitely hadn't changed since last they met.

"You'll have to excuse those two." Another voice with a feminine tone stated from somewhere behind. "They're like this even on good days."

The two younger Saiyans turned around and eyed over a newcoming person: A female Earthling with short blue hair and a friendly smile. Her lithe body was covered from the shoulder downward in a clean white lab coat, and had a number of pens and other mechanical utensils stuffed into its many pockets. Cabba recognized her as Vegeta's wife.

Approaching the group from the direction of the nearby Capsule Corp building, Bulma paced forward with a smile, eyeing over the new faces on her property. She recognized Cabba, of course, but this other newcomer seemed unfamiliar: She was a female of slender build, who looked about Cabba's age, even though she stood a few inches taller. Judging from that spiky mess of black hair that grew from her head, Bulma reasoned that this girl must have been a Saiyan from the Sixth Universe, just like Cabba himself.

"I just saw the light from outside, so I thought I'd come and greet you myself. It's good to have you here, Cabba." Bulma stated before turning towards Caulifla. "And you-"

"Call me Caulifla." The female Saiyan interrupted. "I'm here to train with Cabba."

Nodding her head, Bulma sighed as she watched her husband bicker with Goku. "Hold that thought." She grumbled.

Walking over to Vegeta, she pulled him away from Goku, effectively breaking up the argument. He glared at his wife, and crossed his arms with a stubborn scowl.

"Here you are bickering like a child when you should be properly welcoming your guests!" Bulma chided. "Why don't you take Cabba and show him around the property?"

"What about me?" Caulifla asked.

"Oh, I can show you around!" Goku offered excitedly. "This place is awesome! It's got a huge cafeteria packed with all kinds of food, a pool, and even a gravity chamber-"

"Yes, yes, and the rest of the essentials as well." Vegeta interrupted, cutting Goku's gushing short. "Come on, Cabba. I'll show you to your room."

As Vegeta walked off with his student, Bulma couldn't help but smile. It was nice to know that he was able to put aside his pride for some occasional common courtesy, even if it sometimes came up a little bit on the short side. With the master and disciple gone from sight, Bulma waved off Goku as she turned her attention toward Caulifla herself.

Bulma pursed her lips in apprehension. She wasn't exactly sure on what to make of this new female Saiyan that Cabba had brought with him. Ever since she had first met Cabba at the fighting tournament between Universes Six and Seven all those months ago, Bulma had grown to think of him as a good example of an intelligent, humble, straight-laced Saiyan boy. On the other hand, Caulifla looked more like the kind of girl who robbed the straight-laced Saiyan boys at knifepoint in an alley. She seemed to have a bit of a temper, and was quite territorial, at that. The girl stood out as a stark contrast against her fellow Saiyan boy from Universe Six. Bulma couldn't help but stare.

Caulifla quickly took notice of the Earth-woman's considerable curiosity, however, and confronted her about it without a shred of hesitation to be had.

"What are you lookin' at?" She muttered aloud with a cross tone of voice.

"Oh, sorry." Bulma confessed. "You'll have to forgive me for staring... It's just that I've never gotten the chance to meet a real female Saiyan before."

Caulifla allowed herself a more relaxed demeanor. "Yeah, the way I hear it, all your universes's Saiyans got wiped out a long time ago, save Vegeta and the Old Man, huh?"

"That's right. Well, history lessons aside, it's a pleasure to meet you, at least. I assume you'll be crashing here?"

"Gotta sleep somewhere." The female Saiyan said with a shrug.

Bulma nodded. "Alright, I'll be sure to prepare some clean rooms for you and your boyfriend by-"

"He's not my boyfriend!" Caulifla growled before crossing her arms and glancing away.

Looking closer, Bulma could tell that she was blushing. She donned a sly smile, having recognized the fact that Caulifla wasn't letting in on her true feelings towards Cabba as much as she claimed. Despite wanting to seize the moment to tease her over it some, Bulma also recognized the warning that was laden behind Caulifla's words: She was not welcome to ask for further details. Choosing instead to drop the topic, Bulma promptly turned tail and made her way back to the Capsule Corp building, all the while saying;

"Whatever you say, dear. Just keep in mind that dinner is served at seven-thirty, and with three other Saiyans in the house, you won't want to be late. If you are, there won't be much left to scavenge. I'm gonna go work on a project of mine, and won't be able to spare any help, so if you need anything, just ask Trunks or Vegeta. Enjoy your stay!"

And at that, the Earth-woman entered the building through the sliding glass door. It closed shut on its own a few seconds later, leaving Caulifla and Goku in the courtyard.

Several brief moments of silence ensued before Goku took the time to throw in his own question;

"So are you and Cabba really-"

"I will hurt you." Caulifla hissed, glaring at Goku over her shoulder with a single burning eye.

The adult Saiyan threw up his hands in a gesture of submission. "Okay, okay, I get it! Y-Ya don't wanna talk about it? That's alright. Totally alright." He stammered quickly.

Caulifla simply shut her eyes and scoffed. She hated it when people asked about personal things. It wasn't that she was ashamed of her relationship with Cabba, not at all, but instead preferred that knowledge of said relationship wasn't made public. Caulifla didn't want anyone asking her about it, or having it interfere with her training on Earth.

No, better to leave that particular aspect of her personal life between her and Cabba alone: Just the way she liked it.

"Anyhow, you wanna go find Cabba and get some lunch?" Goku offered. "I'm starving!"

Typical of Goku. Still, Caulifla couldn't deny the fact that she was feeling rather peckish. Allowing herself a smile, she pointed one of her thumbs toward the nearby building.

"Sounds like a plan, to me. Let's go!"

Walking side by side, Goku and Caulifla quickly caught up with Cabba and Vegeta as they toured around the property. The two younger Saiyans were amazed at just how massive the place truly was. Gaming cubicles, multiple gyms, a full-sized cafeteria and kitchen, and about a gazillion different rooms of assorted size and purpose were spread throughout the many buildings that made up the Capsule Corp headquarters. Cabba and Caulifla were both given separate rooms to sleep in, with each room positioned right beside the other in a quiet section of the main building. It was the perfect place for personal relaxation. Along the way, they encountered Trunks - Vegeta's young son - as he played with his friend, Goten. The two of them were quite excited to learn that two new Saiyans had arrived. Goten kept staring at Caulifla as though he couldn't believe his vision.

After passing Trunks and Goten along, the quartet of Saiyans then satisfied their collective hunger with a visit to the kitchen, where they raided the pantries of various junk food and whatever else might sate them, including a packet of cupped noodles for each of them. Cabba himself was particularly fond of the noodles, and Caulifla happened to adore the bag of cheese chips that Goku had pulled out from the cupboard. Once they had all had their fill, Goku and Vegeta finished up the tour before dropping Cabba and Caulifla off at their personal rooms, and promptly going their separate ways, though not without the promise of a full day of training starting first thing the following morning.

Now that was something to look forward to. The two younger Saiyans had been itching to get started for quite some time, especially Caulifla, who had a bit of catching up to do with Cabba. He had already obtained his third Super Saiyan form, and Caulifla was ready to do the same, no matter how long it took. Working together; they meant to try.

No goal as great as that would be accomplished without work, however, yet both Cabba and Caulifla were more than willing to go the extra mile to make it happen.

And with such resolute resolve, it was never a matter of if - only when.

Three Weeks Later

As it turned out, Earth was quite the pleasant planet.

Whenever they weren't training, Cabba and Caulifla burned time by exploring what Earth had to offer, from its rocky mountains to its shining cities. They took walks, toured shopping centers, and went out to eat at various restaurants, as well. Bulma even gave the two of them some Earth-style clothing for more casual activities, and to help them blend in better whenever they were in public. Hanging out around Capsule Corp was surprisingly fun, and both of the two young Saiyans made plenty of new friends, there.

They would play video-games with Goten and Trunks, exchange stories over coffee with Gohan and Videl, and one time, Cabba and Caulifla paid a visit to Goku at his home.

When Goku had first introduced Caulifla to his wife, Chi-Chi, Caulifla had made the mistake of referring to her as a "meek little housewife." With her tied-back hair and prude attire, Chi-Chi looked just about as modest as they came. Unfortunately, the young female Saiyan was utterly unprepared for the thorough tongue-lashing that followed. That Earth woman may have looked plain and proper on the outside, but it was quite clear that she had a more fiery side. Caulifla could sympathize, though she had been too busy trying to avoid Chi-Chi from then onward to make much note of it, anyways. That woman was plain scary, and even a tomboy like Caulifla knew when she was outmatched.

Nevertheless, the two young Saiyans stayed plenty clear of Goku's home, after that. Fine by them - Capsule Corp was far more accommodating, anyways.

Despite the many casual activities that Cabba and Caulifla took part in, they never forgot that training was to be their primary focus: Caulifla still had to reach the level of Super Saiyan Three, after all. Goku and Vegeta took turns teaching them about power scaling and martial arts in the hopes that they would learn something useful. Whenever all four of the pure-blooded Saiyans were together, they would train extra hard to make use of the opportunity. What with Vegeta raising a new kid, and Goku dealing with his own family, Cabba and Caulifla had to take whatever chance they could get. For the most part, Goku himself reigned as their top instructor, since he was able to spare the most time to train them. Goku was an excellent teacher for them, and he did so with much enthusiasm. This, in of itself, came with its own fair share of problems, however.

It could be said that Caulifla had a bit of a love/hate relationship with Goku. Sure, she respected his strength and was grateful for his assistance in her training, of course, but past that, she saw few redeeming qualities. His naivety was annoying, and his simple, happy-go-lucky attitude rubbed off as far too bothersome for her to stomach. Not only that, but Caulifla still held a considerable grudge against him over her multiple defeats at his hands during the Tournament of Power. Because of all of these adding factors, the whole master-pupil thing between her and Goku wasn't exactly the most stable of relationships. Caulifla would frequently berate him over his ignorance and rather blatant foolishness. Goku would always just laugh it off, which only made Caulifla even angrier, though Cabba always managed to break them apart and calm her down, in the end.

Having a natural aversion to authority, Caulifla was never very keen on taking orders from Goku and Vegeta, even if she was supposed to be training under them. It could oftentimes make training rather difficult and tedious, and even though the young Saiyan tried her best to swallow her pride and listen to her superiors, her gutsy personality still broke through every once and a while; causing her to clash heads with her older counterparts and generally leave everyone in a bad mood. As much as she liked having the extra assistance under Goku and Vegeta, Caulifla admittedly favored her duo training with Cabba. Just the two of them against the whole world! She liked that concept.

At least when she was with him, they worked together more so than under one another. Goku and Vegeta functioned in the exact opposite way, and that was never really something that Caulifla particularly enjoyed. Nonetheless, she was still willing to suck it up and work with them to help achieve her longtime goal of reaching Super Saiyan Three. With Cabba by her side along the way, it could have been far worse. Together, they fully intended on getting stronger, and reaching new heights alongside eachother!

And to accomplish that, Goku and Vegeta put them both to work with all sorts of training exercises; from sparring matches to simple meditation. Quite the diverse routine.

Meditation was especially irksome to Caulifla. As much as she enjoyed kicking back and taking it easy (Fighting, workouts, and other physical activities were fun, true, but laziness had always been one of her defining traits), to have to actually sit down and free her mind was a completely different feeling altogether. She would oftentimes find herself gritting her teeth together in irritation, or drumming her fingers as a method to relieve boredom, and provide a sense of consistency to give purpose to the seemingly endless art of breathing and stillness. Something to give her some clearance. Wiping her mind clean of all thoughts was difficult for her. But still, whenever she tightened her jaw or restricted her breathing in anger, Cabba, sitting quietly beside her, would gently tap her on the kneecap as a gesture of reassurance, and to remind her to be patient.

For some reason, that always seemed to calm her down, no matter how irritated she happened to be.

Of all the different training routines that they were put through, however, none of them stood out more than the intense fighting matches that they undertook together.

And now, it held fast as the perfect example of just how hard they were willing to work for their goals.

The sun was a brilliant ball of white fire suspended in the nearly cloudless dusk sky. It inched lower toward the horizon with each passing second, gradually darkening the land and casting elongated shadows across whatever patches of light stood in their way. Visibility was still ample, but within hours, the night would swallow them all. Goku, Cabba, and Caulifla sought to finish up this last round of sparring before returning to Capsule Corp for dinner. They intended the make the most of what little time they had.

Not a single one of them, however, could have predicted that this latest altercation would be the one to finally bear the fruits of their labor.

In the present, Goku and his two students floated high above the grounds of the Capsule Corp property. It was here that they planned to initiate their latest sparring match.

"Alright, Cabba - Let's see what you got!" The older Saiyan exclaimed. At that, his younger student closed his eyes and took in a deep breath of oxygen.

Cabba focused on the burning reserves of power that lay hidden deep within his being. He called them forth and into the open, intent on bringing out his fullest potential. The ground trembled slightly as he growled and clenched his teeth, building up the energy inside his body before releasing it all with a defiant shout. A burst of light enveloped his form, and he felt a tugging sensation in the back of his scalp as his hair extended in length and glowed yellow of power. The ground ceased to shake, and the world fell silent, all except for the heaving breaths of Cabba himself. It was rather taxing to summon so much raw energy at once, but once his head cleared itself, he raised his gaze proudly.

"What do you think?" He asked with an iota of pride to his words.

"Very nice!" Goku praised. "This is gonna be good." He then turned towards the female Saiyan floating beside him. "What about you? Ya ready to get started?"

A cocky grin grew across his student's face.

"Oh, I've been lookin' forward to another rematch with you, Old Man." Caulifla taunted, all the while cracking her knuckles. "I'll have fun makin' you spit your teeth out."

"We'll see about that." Goku replied easily.

Then, with a powerful shout and an eruption of glorious golden light and a burst if blue electricity, he powered up into his Super Saiyan Two transformation. Caulifla chuckled.

"Are you sure you wanna stay in that second form?" The female snarked. "You'll be fighting the both of us at the same time, after all."

Goku simply smiled. "Come at me whenever you're ready." He beckoned before floating back and putting some distance between himself and his two students.

Once the words reached her ears, Caulifla blinked a single time as her brain registered them. Anger surged through her body. Who did this guy think he was?

"Hey! Cabba has Super Saiyan Three, and I've gotten a lot stronger, too!" Caulifla roared.

She raised one of her arms and channeled a ball of red energy into her closed fist. Clenching it like a baseball, she pointed her free hand at Goku and continued her rant;

"If you think this fight is gonna be anythin' like last time, then you'd better be prepared to patch up your ego after we're done with you!"

Goku just kept on smirking. "I'm lookin' forward to finding out." He claimed.

Caulifla grit her teeth in irritation. "Tch... Cocky bastard..." She muttered before turning to her male counterpart. "Cabba! Let's beat the Super Saiyan out of him."

The male Saiyan simply nodded his head with a grin. He grunted in acknowledgement before assuming an offensive fighting stance. Caulifla allowed herself a minuscule smile as well, and then promptly let her energy reserves overflow with power, causing her to ascend into the state of Super Saiyan Two. The transformation itself was rather pale compared to Cabba's own ascension from earlier, but the combined aura of their fiery new forms filled the sky with glowing golden light, and in that moment, Caulifla felt as though there was nothing that could stop them. She felt as though with Cabba by her side, that she could take on anyone - beat down anything, and come out on top of it all.

It could be easily said that she lived for moments like this. Cabba's company only helped further bolster that feeling of content. Working together, defeat seemed impossible.

Now it was time to prove it.

Exhaling carefully, Caulifla initiated the fight by throwing the ball of energy that she had made earlier directly at Goku's head. The sphere of Ki detonated just before hitting its target; throwing out a thick cloud of black smoke that obscured the vision of all within it. Ready to move in on their opponent, Cabba and Caulifla initiated their assault just as Goku broke through the smog. From there, action ensued as the two younger Saiyans charged at their older foe and met him in the heat of combat. Bright sparks of electricity crackled across the aerial battlefield as fists met and kicks flew like speeding bullets. Snapping jolts of sound pierced the air as the sound-barrier was broken over and over again with each attack. Goku took on both of his underlings at once; parrying their combined jabs one after the other, all the while throwing in his own attempts at offense as well. With the power of flight, he attempted to put some distance between himself and his two combatants, as he knew that he wouldn't be able to fend off the both of them together for very long at all. However, with each attempt at a tactical retreat, Cabba or Caulifla would get in his face and box him in, sealing off his movements.

Though he could have easily powered up and pushed them both away, Goku sought to give his students the chance to push themselves, and provide a fun bit of challenge for himself in the process, as well. He promptly decided that it was time for something new. Smirking in anticipation, he placed a finger to his forehead and vanished into thin air from between his opponents, materializing instantaneously behind Cabba. Instant Transmission worked like a charm. Now, he had both Cabba and Caulifla in a line directly in front of him. Sparing no hesitation, he threw his palms forward and shot out a sizable ball of yellow energy directly into Cabba's stomach as the poor boy turned around in realization, only to be blasted backwards and into Caulifla. The two Saiyans were sent careening off from the force of the explosion, with Cabba sprawled into Caulifla's arms.

When the energy dissipated, Caulifla tossed Cabba into the air directly beside her, allowing him to right his sense of equilibrium and to recompose himself.

"C'mon, Cabba!" She ordered, not taking her eyes off of Goku as he floated calmly several meters away. "No time for rest!"

Quickly assuming an offensive fighting stance beside his female counterpart, Cabba and Caulifla then rushed into battle once more.

Time passed like a flowing river: Fifteen minutes of nearly non-stop combat consumed the focus of all three Saiyans. Cabba and Caulifla chased their teacher across the sky, and followed him relentlessly as he weaved through forests, darted around entire mountains at impossible speeds, and flew across lakes; each new battlefield providing different and unique obstacles to deal with. Trees toppled as disks of destructive energy sliced through them like wheat in a field. Boulders crumbled beneath the force of colliding bodies. Water parted as super-sonic kicks and punches disrupted the lake's surface. Such was the battle between three ascended Saiyans. Truly, a sight to behold.

Luckily, there were no populated areas thrown into the mixture. With the exception of a few dozen trees and some cracked hilltops, relatively little was left to wanton ruin.

In time, the three Saiyans gradually maneuvered their way back to the airspace above the park grounds of Capsule Corp, where they had first begun their training session. Although tired from the extended duel, there was still the hope of achieving something special: Caulifla sought the form of Super Saiyan Three more than ever, and had been hoping that today's training would ignite some sort of hidden potential within her. Alas, the only potential that seemed to be unleashed was that of her annoyance with Goku.

Knowing that the three of them would likely take a break sometime soon to recuperate from their rather taxing training session, Caulifla decided to pick up the pace of her attacks, and really try to focus her energy on bringing out her Ki reserves for sudden bursts toward her opponent. She would feint with kicks to the head before twisting in mid-air and redirecting her strikes towards a different part of Goku's body, all the while calling on her supply of Ki to help fuel the power behind the attacks. At first, it worked quite well, with the older Saiyan being forced to focus his attention on parrying or blocking Caulifla's martial-art moves, which would allow Cabba time to attack his behind.

However, no matter the ferocity of their teamwork, Goku would quickly adapt and overcome their strategy; becoming able to deflect both of his aggressors simultaneously.

With the intention on boxing him in again like they had the first time, Caulifla and Cabba's minds worked independently, yet oh-so consecutively as they properly positioned themselves for the final push against their foe. By now, they could practically read eachother's minds, and worked together as a team with much coordination and control.

"Eat this!" Caulifla shouted as she thrust a ball of energy directly into Goku's face.

The bright light from the resulting explosion disoriented him, and this time, the older Saiyan was unable to prevent Cabba from attacking. The younger male - with the power of Super Saiyan Three - brought down both of his closed fists directly into Goku's upper back, effectively sending him pitching down a few dozen yards to the ground below.

"Nice one, Cabba!" The female praised before zooming down to meet up with her opponent once more.

Taking the shorter route, Cabba himself simply channeled his Ki and underwent a short-distance teleport directly behind Goku. With his sneak attack from the behind, and Caulifla's charge from the front, the two young Saiyans yelled aloud in triumph as their fists slammed into Goku's body from both the front and the back; with Caulifla's punch landing hard on his cheek, while Cabba's planted itself in the small of his spine, in the spot just between his kidneys. The force from both punches caused Goku to bend back.

It was the perfect tag-team move.

Just as the two of them thought that they were going to get the upper-hand on their teacher, a hot wave of energy pushed them both away before they could do anything more. A bright golden light encased Goku's form, and his hair elongated like grass growing in a time-lapse video, stopping as it reached his lower back. When the light died down, Goku was left floating proudly in midair, encased in an aura of fiery yellow Ki, with tendrils of blue electricity arcing around his body like a superconductive Tesla Coil.

He had changed into his Super Saiyan Three transformation.

The two younger Saiyans simply stared at him in awe. Cabba was amazed by the sheer output of power that he was sensing, not to mention the surprise that came with seeing Goku's hair sprout out like the roots of a tree. On the other hand, Caulifla found herself feeling a bit self-conscious: Here she was, a mere Super Saiyan Two amongst a pair of higher-evolved Saiyans. It was like comparing a candle to two roaring bonfires. She tightened her knuckles into balls and ground her teeth together like sandpaper.

"This changes nothing!" She decreed before charging in and resuming the fight.

Almost immediately, Goku began to counter her attacks. Wordlessly, he parried Caulifla's punches and struck back at her whenever he saw the opportunity. Quickly realizing that the duel had resumed, Cabba rushed in and joined his friend in battle once again. The two younger Saiyans tried to restrict Goku's range of movement, as they had twice before, but this time, Goku completely outmaneuvered them both. Whatever speed and perception that he had had in his previous form had skyrocketed. Cabba and Caulifla's attempts to beat him were in vain. Before, he had been good, but at least they had been able to somewhat keep him on his toes. Now, he was on a completely different level.

Irritation turned to rage as the female Saiyan continued to swing and miss over and over again. Even with Cabba at his back, Goku had no trouble dealing with the two of them at once. All of the progress that they had been making earlier was beginning to slip away. That made Caulifla mad. It was as if their teacher was mocking their work!

Caulifla grit her teeth. "Stop dodging, dammit!" She shrieked, her voice cracking with anger.

The female Saiyan then threw one of her fists at Goku's face, intent on putting all of her remaining energy into one last punch.

At the last moment, Goku teleported somewhere out of sight, leaving Cabba as the only thing in the path of Caulifla's attack. She tried pulling her punch, but it was too late: Her fist planted hard against Cabba's cheek, and sent him reeling back from the sheer force. The female's eyes widened in shock, and she immediately dropped her guard to check on her friend. He clearly hadn't been expecting that, since his fighting stance had been on the offensive when he was attacking Goku alongside Caulifla, and therefore, was fully unprepared to take the punch when it had arrived: It had completely caught him by surprise. And to make matters even worse, it was a pretty hard punch, at that.

"Oh no!" She cried out. "I'm sorry, Cabba!"

He was clutching at his face in pain. His hands twitched as they pressed against his upper cheek. A thin rivulet of blood seeped between his fingers, confirming the fear that Caulifla had indeed broken through his skin. Cabba grimaced as he slowly removed his fingers from his face and stared down at the red liquid pooling in the palm of his hand.

"Agh, that one really hurt!" He grumbled. "Wasn't expecting it, but I'm alright, don't worry."

Cabba's reassurance wasn't enough for Caulifla. Baring her teeth in rage, Caulifla whirled around towards Goku, who was floating silently just a few dozen meters away.

"You made me hit him!" She roared. "And you did it on purpose!" As the words left her mouth, Caulifla's fists hardened into rigid balls of anger. "You'll pay for that!"

Her aura bolstered with renewed Ki energy. Blue electricity crackled like thunder, and with a vocal shout of defiance, Caulifla hurled herself forward at top speed; landing a powerful kick square in Goku's chest, effectively knocking the wind right out of his lungs. As he flew back from the force of the impact, Caulifla quickly closed the distance and began to administer a flurry of jabs into his torso. The first few landed with ease, but after Goku regained his composure, he promptly took to dodging them all one by one. The whole act reeked of similarity with Goku's usage of Ultra Instinct, during the Tournament of Power, all those months ago. His current method of dodging wasn't nearly as precise or as graceful, but it was still all too irritating to Caulifla, whom recalled all too well just how humiliating her final defeat at Goku's hands had been, even with the tremendous power of fusion on her side. To dodge all of her attacks in such a way after what had happened back then... Goku was toying with her, now. She was sure of it.

Caulifla grit her teeth hard in frustration, and picked up the speed and power of her attacks, but still, nothing seemed to land. That only caused her anger to grow even more.

Even past her rage, whenever she thought back on her experience during the Tournament of Power, Caulifla had to admit that she had learned a lot. None more so, perhaps than the fact that her own anger and pride could be used against her, and lead to her defeat. The higher the pride, the longer the fall. It was a merciless double-edged sword.

That overconfidence is what will cost you, Cabba had once told her in regards to her arrogant displays of bravado during the Tournament of Power.

At the time, he had been right, even if Caulifla had not yet realized it: Her own hubris had eventually led to her humiliating downfall, in the end. Cabba had been trying to warn her, but just like so many other privileges that had been handed to her on a silver platter, she had recklessly thrown it all away. It brought Caulifla a great deal of shame, and anger, thinking over her past defeats like this. To wallow in her own failures wasn't something that she was used to, and it wasn't something that she enjoyed.

Nonetheless, the thoughts ailed her conscience without mercy. Each one stacked upon the other like layers: Her defeat against Goku at the start of the tournament, her inability to prevent Cabba from getting knocked out of the ring, her second loss against Goku not too long after, and of course, her final elimination during her brief fusion with Kale. Worst of all, though, was when that blinding white light had torn through her body, along with Cabba and Kale's, and they had all ceased to exist.

One after the other, they tore at her mind like punches from an aggressor, only difference being that these hurt far more. The humiliation was beyond infuriating. The shame, anger, and regret was more than just a feeling: It was a gnawing force of chaos that had been sapping at her being since day one, and in the center of it all was Goku. It was he who had humiliated her and beaten her during the tournament, and it was he who had ultimately led to her erasure along with each of her friends, and all of Universe Six.

And now, thanks to Goku and his cheap tricks, she had unintentionally hurt one of the greatest friends that she had ever had.

This single realization, paired with all of the disgrace and anger that came with the reminiscence over her losses during the Tournament of Power, caused great anger to boil up from within her, and with it, a sudden surge in power, as well. Caulifla screamed, and her continuous volley of punches and kicks sped up. Goku grimaced, suddenly finding himself unable to keep up the the female's newfound speed and growing aggression. Tendrils of electricity shot from Caulifla's body, and her blonde hair began to glow an even brighter shade of gold. Goku smiled, knowing what was about to happen. The female's body became encased in a brilliant aura of energy, and when the golden flames evaporated, Caulifla's hairstyle had nearly tripled in size and mass. She screamed, and the transformation concluded with a harsh eruption of blue lightning that shot outwards from Caulifla's body before enveloping it like a defensive shield. Fueled by anger over having hurt her friend, and by the gnawing shame of defeat that had been plaguing her for so long, Caulifla's onslaught against Goku came to its climax when she pushed him back with a thick beam of crimson energy. The female growled with rage.

When Goku halted his movement, he stared at his student with pride. His face was bruised from her attacks, but he was smiling ear to ear. He pointed to her and began;

"Nice! You reached Super Saiyan Th-"

Goku's exclamation was cut short as Caulifla's foot plowed into the side of his head. He was sent plummeting down to the Earth from the force of the kick, and impacted hard against the ground, throwing up a massive cloud of dirt and dust. The female Saiyan then threw her hand back and formed a sphere of crimson energy, and with a roar of anger, chucked it down towards the spot where Goku had landed just seconds before. Whizzing with power, the Ki blast pierced through the cloud of debris and disappeared.

Meanwhile, Cabba had been watching the entire time as his friend had pummeled their teacher. Caulifla hadn't even seemed to notice that she had transformed into a Super Saiyan Three: She was just dead-set on beating up Goku. The younger male recalled his own first experience, thinking back to how hard it had been to control all his anger.

However, this seemed a step too far.

Cabba feared that she had gone overboard. Clearly, Caulifla was still steaming with rage from the intensity of the transformation, much like he himself had been during his own first experience, but her fury seemed to be getting out of control. It was only when a bright flash of fiery light emanated from below, that his anxiety was fully quelled.

The cloud of dust was blown away from the force of Goku's aura: He stood calmly down below, surrounded by a fiery mixture of red and golden energy. His hair had changed color too, and now bore a dark shade of scarlet. It was his Super Saiyan God form. Cabba recalled spotting it from his seat in the stands, during the Tournament of Power. Such a powerful transformation was quite hard to forget. In his palm, Goku held the ball of energy that Caulifla had thrown at him. Grinning, he crushed it in a fist as easily as one might squash an insect. The energy dissipated, and the older Saiyan was left staring up at the two younger ones from several dozen feet below. He then called out;

"No sense blowin' up the place too badly. That energy blast could have done some serious damage! Might have had some actual trouble stopping it, if I hadn't transformed."

He then lept up in the air and flew closer to his two young sparring partners. He crossed his arms and eyed them both over with an expression of pride.

"Congratulations, the both of you!" Goku stated. "Super Saiyan Three is all yours."

Caulifla's breathing steadied. She blinked, and first looked to Cabba. His eyes were full of pride, yet deeper down, she saw concern hidden beneath his gaze: Concern for her. A calming sense of security spread throughout her body, born from Cabba's reassurance. Somewhere inside, Caulifla felt her heart skip a beat as the truth hit her. She then looked down at her hands, as if just realizing for the first time that something had changed within her. The female Saiyan seemed to forget all about her previous anger as she took to patting down the massive growth of hair that sprouted from her head. She looked to Cabba one more time, and saw that now, his expression bore a simple smile.

A grin slowly grew across her face as the realization finally settled. She then tucked in her arms, shut her eyes, and shrieked aloud with joy, resulting in tendrils of bright blue electricity surging outward from her body like tiny lightning bolts. Smiling wide, Caulifla pumped her fists around in the air excitedly, causing her thick column of blond hair to swing like a pendulum from her over-enthusiastic movements. Months of strenuous training had been building up to this very moment, and now, it was hers to seize at last.

"Yes!" She yelled ecstatically and for all to hear. "I did it! I finally reached Super Saiyan Three!"

Following her decree, Cabba only had mere seconds to prepare before Caulifla charged forward and tackled him head-on; locking the young Saiyan in an exuberant hug that nearly knocked him out of the air. Spinning from the force of the impact, the two of them whirled around as Cabba tried to reorient himself, all the while Caulifla squealed out with joy, and squeezed her friend so hard that his spine made a few audible popping noises. Goku couldn't help but chuckle in amusement, watching his students embrace.

"We both made it!" Caulifla shouted when Cabba finally managed to stop the out-of-control spinning, and right their combined balance.

"Nice work, Caulifla!" He stated before grunting in pain as her arms squeezed him even tighter. "Ah, r-ribs! Ribs!"

"Oh, sorry!" She quickly said. Caulifla then loosened her grip and backed away from her male counterpart.

She giggled, watching Cabba rub at his aching sides. Sparing a glance up, Cabba locked eyes with her and smiled. Her thick mass of golden hair swayed hypnotically in the wind. Even despite the holes peppered in her clothing and the sooty grime that covered her face, Cabba thought that she looked as beautiful as ever. The female Saiyan - still grinning with enthusiasm - took in a deep and relaxing breath of air before exhaling calmly, and letting her body relax a bit more, having at last recomposed herself properly.

"It's about time!" She concluded, placing her hands on her hips. "I was beginnin' to worry that you two were gonna leave me in the dust."

The female then singled out Goku, in specific. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?" She asked. "Made me accidentally hit Cabba, to help bring out my anger."

Goku just kept on grinning. "Yeah, sorry 'bout that. I figured it was worth a shot. But hey, it worked, didn't it?"

Cabba laughed. "Maybe a little heads-up next time would be nice. I'm alright, though." He added before turning towards Caulifla, his eyes shining bright with pride.

Staring at her, the pain in his cheek from the earlier surprise punch seemed nonexistent. "Incredible! Just... Wow..." Cabba trailed off in awe. "Your hair is really long."

He spoke the truth. Caulifla's usual hairstyle was already quite large and spikey, but this new transformation seemed to take the two of those traits and blow them out of the water. Now, the very tip of her mass of hair nearly reached her mid-thigh. Humming intriguingly to herself, Caulifla swept an arm back through the mass of hair that hung from her scalp, and pulled a heap of it forward for her to see personally. She ran her fingers through it like a comb, and giggled as the flickers of light blue electricity lapped around her fingers like static, tickling at her nerves. Caulifla then released the grip that she had on her hair, effectively allowing it to fall back into place, before she turned her head and glanced over at Cabba. He was smiling warmly at her, and she promptly found herself smiling right back at him. His expression of pride was truly infectious.

Quite frankly, how could they not share a moment of joy? This was the goal that they had set for themselves all those months ago, after getting revived by the Super Dragon Balls: To work together to reach Super Saiyan Three, and heighten their respective levels of power. Now, here they were, and said goal was finally within their grasp. They had at last achieved a new level of strength, and all that was left to do was to master it, and make it their own. It would take even more time and effort to harness and perfect, but it was nothing that the two young Saiyans weren't glad to work towards, especially if it meant working together, and getting stronger as a team, and as a couple.

The clapping sound of Goku's fist meeting his palm stirred the twin attentions of Cabba and Caulifla; interrupting their brief moment of satisfaction and reflection. He stated;

"Okay! You won't be able to use the energy needed to maintain that form for very long, so if you two wanna master it, we'll need to make the most of this while we still can!"

Cabba locked eyes with Caulifla, whom had one of her eyebrows raised upwards in curiosity. Something told them that Goku was right, on that point.

"So, how 'bout it? You ready to go at it again, Cabba?" Caulifla asked tenderly, remembering how she had briefly incapacitated him on accident with one of her punches.

He promptly nodded his head. The dried blood on his face failed to simmer his enthusiasm.

"Ready when you are, Caulifla!" He exclaimed proudly.

The female smiled, glad to hear that her counterpart wasn't ready to quit just yet. The two young Saiyans then turned towards their opponent, and faced him down with ire.

Admittedly, Caulifla thought it a bit devious for Goku to have played a dirty trick like that to make her mad, and help her ascend to Super Saiyan Three, but she figured that she would get the chance to properly express her annoyance toward him with a few good punches to the jaw. As for Cabba, well, she would just have to thank him for all of his help sometime. later. After all, had it not been for his unwavering comradery and reassurance over all these months, she would never have gotten this far. Seen so much.

She figured that he deserved a show of gratitude: An act of appreciation, at the very least.

For now, though, further training was to be their focus. The two of them promptly assumed dual offensive fighting stances. Goku simply smiled, ready for the coming fight.

"Here it goes!" Cabba shouted as he rushed forth.

The trio of Saiyans engaged in a renewed battle, their combined spirits lifted and ambition growing by the second. Their hard work had at last paid off, and Caulifla had finally ascended, joining her friend and teacher as a Super Saiyan Three. Intent on making the most of her new transformation, the female Saiyan fought with bolstered strength! However, it was not to last, unfortunately. Goku, as it turns out, had been right: Super Saiyan Three heavily drained away at Caulifla's remaining energy reserves, and she quickly found herself tiring. Cabba was lucky, having had the extra time to get used to the rather taxing transformation. Even still, she had a feeling he'd be tiring soon too.

In no time at all, she was sweating from head to toe, and the growing ache in her body spread like a virus. Both Cabba and Goku tapped out soon enough as well, and all three Saiyans promptly reverted back to their natural, black-haired forms before returning to the lower grounds of Capsule Corp. As soon as she set foot on the pavement, Caulifla collapsed from exhaustion. Cabba caught her on the way down, but their combined momentum caused him to fall over along with her. He rolled off to the side with a grunt as his female counterpart laid down wearily on her stomach. Cabba chuckled, and Caulifla found herself laughing over the accident as well. Goku smiled, watching his students as he shuffled over to a nearby lawn chair and plopped down comfortably. Leaning his head back, he let out a sigh of relief. He may not have been as spent as his two students, but even he was feeling the side-effects of their sparring session: His muscles ached and his joints creaked like broken glass, but he felt great, knowing that Cabba and Caulifla had finally accomplished their long sought-after goal of reaching Super Saiyan Three. The pain that came with it was without regrets. All in a day's work.

The time would come for further training to help heighten the grasp of their new forms, but for now, Goku figured that a reward was well earned for the three of them.

\---

Hey everyone!

I certainly hope that you enjoyed this new chapter. I know I did! I really felt as though the story needed a quick continuation, so as to see what happened in the aftermath of the last chapter. Caulifla got her new form, and plenty of fun was to be had. Do please let me know what you think of the chapter in a review, down below! I'd love to know your thoughts on Cabba and Caulifla's relationship, the writing style I used, Caulifla's transformation and the fight scene, as well. Thank you!

This chapter was originally twice as long, but I decided to cut it in half for convenience purposes. You can expect the following chapter later this week: It will detail the aftermath of the fight itself, a scene with everyone relaxing around a nice meal with plenty of conversation, and then another explicit scene.

Anyways, that's all I've got to say for now, really. Thanks a million for reading, and do stay tuned, as I might add one or two more chapters down the road. We'll see. Last time I said something like that, the corresponding story wound up being nearly one hundred chapters long. Talk about an understatement, huh? On that regard, I feel like I should let you all know that I don't have a big plan lain out for this story: It was just supposed to be a quick one-shot, but now, it looks like it's gonna be a short story, seeing as how there were some more scenes, moments, and interactions that I wanted to capture, and did so in this new chapter. That being said, I do have a few more ideas that I'm considering exploring in another chapter or two; perhaps even a chapter with Kale returning! Like I said: We'll see. Just know that you can expect more content soon.

Until then, though, I hope you enjoyed this particular chapter update. Do please review! I'd love to know your thoughts on it.

'Till next time...

Peace!


	3. Passion

To a trio of hungry Saiyans, there was no greater reward than a giant pile of food.

Following a few minutes of rest, the three of them hauled themselves to their feet before making their way to the semi-circular balcony that overlooked the grounds from the main building. There, an entire feast had already been set-up in preparation for dinner atop a single, long wood table. In the past, many of the Earth's Z-Fighters would often gather around that very table for special celebrations or gatherings, but now, the only occupants were members of the host's family; Vegeta, Trunks, and of course, Bulma herself. She hurried around the outskirts of the table, throwing down plates of food for diners to marvel at. Above, the sky was dark with storm clouds. Cabba figured that it might rain soon. Even despite the gloomy evening atmosphere, however, everyone's spirits were high. The lovely smell of steamed rice, salty octopus, and fresh-baked rolls lingered in the air, and filled the nostrils of everyone in the vicinity. The three newcomers tried to join the table, but Bulma waved them off irately and pointed to the building.

"No, you three aren't getting any food until you're all cleaned up, do you hear me?"

"C'mon, Bulma, we've been out trainin' all day!" Goku started, inching closer to a nearby plate of rice-cake with each word. "Can we just sneak a little-"

Bulma promptly slapped his hand away with an audible smack. He yielded, rubbing at the newly-made red mark that had appeared on the back of his wrist.

"As I said, not until you're cleaned up. I can smell you past the rolls, for crying out loud! Not to mention that your clothing is all torn. Go!"

"Fine, fine," The Saiyan relented. "Just try to save us some, okay?"

At that, Goku promptly bid his farewells before enabling his Instant-Transmission ability to return home. Cabba and Caulifla were left to fend for themselves as they retreated to their respective rooms and took the time to clean up from their day of training. Making use of the plentiful amount of hot water, both of the young Saiyans took showers and changed their clothes before heading back down to the balcony, where their dinner still lay waiting. The male chose to shed his usual armor in favor of a more casual outfit consisting of beige khakis and a blue button-up shirt. Bulma had given in to him as a gift during his first day on Earth, and he had worn it several times since, though only on more nonchalant occasions such as a group dinner or party, which were rather few and far between, considering that he was primarily there to work hard and train.

Nonetheless, he figured it a fitting equipment of Earth-style clothing. It was suave, yet simple, and that was just the way he liked it.

Once he had returned to the patio, he could see that Goku and Caulifla had beaten him to the table, and were already stacking their plates high with food. Goku wore his usual Gi, albeit this one freshly pressed and free of scorch marks. When Cabba spotted his dear friend, however, he had to remind himself to keep his jaw from hanging open. Caulifla was wearing a baggy, dark-pink T-shirt that she had tied off around her sternum, showing off her midriff. Not too different from her usual tube-top, Cabba noted. That was a style that she must have liked. Alongside that, she donned a pair of jean shorts that were cut around mid-thigh, and some plain brown sandals to protect her feet.

Cabba may have gotten used to Caulifla's other usual outfit, by now, but he thought that she looked pretty darn good in Earth clothes.

Taking a seat at the table, he joined his good friend alongside Goku, Vegeta, and Bulma, as they dined on the feast lain out before them. Seating himself beside Caulifla, he piled on a few slices of meat and other scrumptious-looking delicacies before digging in. The flavor was exquisite, and in no time at all, he had completely cleaned his plate and was prowling about for some seconds. With Goku, Vegeta, Caulifla and Cabba all chowing down at the exact same time, a whole lot of food vanished at an alarming rate.

Caulifla chomped down on a huge chunk of meat; pulling off a strip of flesh with her teeth before throwing her head back and swallowing it whole. In a few seconds time, she had picked the whole turkey leg clean. Cabba couldn't help being astonished at his friend's eating habits. He watched with a mixture of astonishment and terror as Caulifla bit down on the bone, breaking it open and guzzling on the raw marrow within. The male Saiyan admired the lithe body of his female counterpart; wondering where all that food even went. It wasn't his first time dining with her, of course, but Cabba never ceased to be amazed. That girl was downright scary when she attacked a plateful of pork ribs.

Having spent much time with her, Cabba quickly learned that Caulifla's mood always improved whenever she had a full stomach. Though, keeping her well-fed could be a challenge sometimes, given the sheer size of her appetite. Cabba himself may have been a Saiyan as well, but he personally preferred a more refined speed of consumption.

After a few minutes of silent dining, Bulma broke the ice with an inquiry;

"So, how was your training today? Any new developments we should know about?"

"Oh, yeah, that's right!" Goku exclaimed. "I forgot to tell you! Caulifla here finally managed to reach Super Saiyan Three just a few hours ago!"

"Wow, really?" Bulma asked.

"Yep, I sure did!" The female Saiyan stated with a prideful smirk.

"Took you long enough." Cabba quipped, earning himself a playful smack to the back of the head. "Just joking, just joking..."

Across the table, Vegeta scoffed with an audible grunt. "Don't get too cocky just yet." He warned. "It'll take a lot more training if you want to be able to master that form."

"That's the plan." Cabba interjected, locking eyes with his esteemed master. "We'll keep working to get even stronger!"

"Now that's what I like to hear!" Goku added before donning a puzzled look across his face. He asked;

"Wait, how would you know what it's like, Vegeta? You never even reached Super Saiyan Three, did you?"

"Oh, you just had to bring that up." Vegeta growled.

The two older Saiyans began to argue once again. Bulma rolled her eyes before tugging at her husband's shoulder in an effort to calm him down.

"Well, anyways, congratulations you two!" She said to the two younger Saiyans. "I guess you earned your supper after all, huh?"

At the other end of the dining table, Caulifla burped audibly. She had just finished off her plate of food and was looking quite satisfied.

"Damn right." She agreed. "Training all day like that really works up an appetite."

Bulma gave her a dirty look for belching so casually at the dinner table like that, but if she happened to notice, she didn't let on.

Over the weeks, Bulma had come to realize a few other things about Caulifla's character, alongside her lack of manners and occasional disregard for proper dining etiquette: She had a fiery determination in her eyes, and loved to spar almost as much as Goku did. She had an attitude like Vegeta, tilted her chin up whenever she expected a fight or a heated argument, and wasn't very good at keeping her many emotions in check, either. When she was angry, it showed. When she was bored or depressed, it also showed.

However, Bulma also noticed that whenever those emotions got out of hand, Cabba was never too late to reel them back in.

Whenever Caulifla got angry, Cabba would work to calm her back down. If she ever got bored, he'd try to engage in conversation with her. Even the few times that she had appeared glum, Cabba was always there to comfort her. Despite Caulifla having told her differently, as she had when they had first met, Bulma had a strong feeling that the two young Saiyans would have made a cute couple. She recognized some sort of connection between the two in the way that they spoke, and how one would occasional steal wistful glances of the other. Being as clever as she was, Bulma never failed to notice the subtle emotions that often surfaced from those around her, human or otherwise.

Cabba and Caulifla were no exception.

Meanwhile, Goku nodded, having given up on his debate with Vegeta. "At least Lord Beerus isn't here. If he were, there wouldn't even be half the food that there is now!"

Cabba pursed his lips. He recalled meeting the seventh universe's God of Destruction during the Tournament of Power, and once more when he made a brief surprise visit to Earth just last week, much to Cabba and Caulifla's bewilderment. Apparently it was a regular occurrence for him to stop by, grab some food, chat for a while, and then leave.

"And thank goodness for that." Bulma grumbled. "Having to cook for two extra Saiyans hasn't been healthy for my income. Dealing with a freeloading God is even worse."

The female Saiyan shrugged. "Can't blame me for being hungry." She said casually before leaning forward and plucking a few purple grapes from a nearby fruit platter.

"It's a good sign!" Goku claimed. "It means that the training is payin' off!"

Caulifla drummed her fingers on the table. "And I take it we'll be doing more tomorrow?" She asked before swallowing her last mouthful of grapes and stifling a slight hiccup.

"Yes, you'll both have your work cut out for you, mastering Super Saiyan Three." Vegeta added before explaining;

"As much as it pains me to admit it, I have a feeling that Kakarot here would be the more appropriate teacher for mastering that new form of yours."

Goku scratched at the side of his head. "Wow, you really must be sure of it, to hand the job over to me, like that."

Vegeta scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself. I'm only saying that because I never reached Super Saiyan Three. If I had, then I'd easily make the better master."

Laughing in a good-natured manner, Goku nodded his head, knowing better than to outright disagree, at this point. "Probably." He said simply.

A sudden flash of lightning overhead effectively earned the collective attention of the many different diners. Everyone looked up at the sight of the growing storm. A few tiny drops of rain began to splatter down here and there, with one landing directly in Goku's left eye. His grunt of discomfort was drowned over by the sound of rolling thunder.

"Better finish eating quickly." Bulma stated, all the while sparing an uneasy glance to the darkening sky above. "Won't want to be outside when that storm hits."

Taking Bulma's words seriously, the four Saiyans began to pick out their share of the remaining food before scarfing it down as fast as they could. The rain hit soon after, and the party of diners retreated indoors before adjourning. Cabba and Caulifla thanked their hostess for the meal, and promptly made their way back to the private wing of the building, where their assigned bedrooms were located. Along the way, they encountered Goten and Trunks watching TV in a nearby gaming room, and decided to join them for a bit to burn some time. Outside, the sounds of the storm rattled against the glass windows, and streaks of lightning illuminated the grounds. After about an hour of watching TV with the two young earthlings, Cabba and Caulifla shared some hopeful words of encouragement just outside of their respective rooms before heading to sleep.

"Thank you for helping me finally reach Super Saiyan Three, Cabba." Caulifla said. "I owe you one."

The male Saiyan shrugged. "It was nothing. You earned it." He assured of her.

Caulifla gave her friend an ebullient shoulder-bump. She explained;

"Next time we spar together, I'll try not to punch you in the face as hard."

"I'd like that." Cabba said with a chuckle.

"Consider it a date, then." Caulifla stated before concluding their discussion by administering a brief kiss on Cabba's cheek. "Goodnight. I'll see you tomorrow."

At that, the female Saiyan retreated into her bedroom and closed the door shut with finality, though not before sneaking a sly wink at her friend. Cabba smiled to himself, and promptly entered his own room, all the while trying to ignore the growing feeling of warmth that emanated from the spot where Caulifla had kissed him just moments before. Closing the door shut behind him, Cabba took to preparing for sleep; brushing his teeth, undressing himself, and turning off all of the lights that he could find before crawling beneath the covers on his bed. It was nice and warm, even despite the cold, stormy night air howling on the exterior of the building. Thunder boomed loudly in the distance, and the occasional flash of lightning lit up the view outside from the window in Cabba's bedroom. Rain poured down hard. The Saiyan had difficulty falling asleep.

Tossing and turning, he shifted his sleeping position well over a dozen times before any real weariness began to cause his eyelids to lower, and his mind to drift. Soon, the downpour of the rain outside stalled to a steady trickling, and the thunder quelled into nearly inaudible thrums, just short of nonexistence. Cabba grew more and more tired, that was, until the sound of a mechanical door sliding open woke him from the prelude of his coming slumber. Sitting up on his mattress, he gazed into the dark of his room.

"Um, is someone there?" He stifled, listening for a response. A feminine voice quickly whispered back;

"Yeah, it's me."

The male Saiyan strained his eyes into the dark, and just barely made out the outline of another person. "Is that you, Caulifla?" He asked. "What are you doing?"

"Couldn't sleep." She confessed. "Mind if I join you?"

Not waiting for an answer, the female Saiyan approached the side of the mattress and promptly lounged on the surface of the upper blanket. Cabba felt the weight of her body add to the strain on the mattress below him. He could barely see her, that was, until a momentary crackle of lightning from outside illuminated the interior of the room. In that brief moment, the white light gave vision to Caulifla, who was lounging nude just beside Cabba. The shadows bent around her lissome body as the light faded away.

"Join me?" Cabba began quietly. "If Vegeta finds out-" He stopped himself when Caulifla threw in her own comment;

"Eh, what's he gonna do? Stop worrying so much."

The male pursed his lips with reluctance. After a few seconds of thoughtful silence, he sighed and beckoned his counterpart forward with a sluggish wave of the hand.

"Fine, fine, come on in."

Grinning triumphantly to herself, Caulifla then crawled into bed with Cabba, who was trying awfully hard not to smile himself. It wasn't everyday that Caulifla got so cozy with him. Regardless, he figured that he could enjoy the moment, at least. She snuggled up against him; wrapping her arms around his torso and clinging tight to his side. The male Saiyan could feel the heartbeat of his female counterpart as it drummed methodically upon his chest, and took enjoyment from the bolstered warmth that came with her presence. She sighed contentedly, and the air from her nostrils brushed delicately along his skin. There was a time when Cabba would have found it hard to believe that Caulifla could be capable of such affectionate displays, but he had long since realized that there was a deeper, more compassionate side to Caulifla that seldom surfaced in public. Aside from himself, Kale was the only other person whom she truly shared this persona with: It had momentarily surfaced during her second fight with Goku in the latter half of the Tournament of Power, when Kale had nearly lost control over her mysterious powers, and had required outside guidance to revert back to her normal state.

It had been a rare and rather touching moment. Likewise, it appeared that Cabba himself had been deemed worthy enough as a friend and as a lover to witness it as well.

Caulifla may have seemed as tough as nails, but even she had her softer moments. Cabba had come to appreciate all aspects of her personality, yet he couldn't deny that he enjoyed it when his female counterpart got affectionate with him. To know that such a strong-willed and fiery individual was also capable of such touching displays was one of the prospects that he loved the most about her. To him, it showed that Caulifla had both grit and compassion, and in all honesty, he just simply couldn't get enough of either.

"I was having some trouble falling asleep, too." Cabba admitted, breaking the verbal silence that had encompassed the two young Saiyans.

"Oh?" The female hummed curiously. "And why is that?"

"The thunder. Sadala never had storms this powerful." He replied. "I'm glad that you're here, though."

Choosing to express his appreciation of her company, Cabba draped one of his own arms around Caulifla and began to massage at the base of her neck. She let out a breathy and contented sigh as Cabba's fingers rubbed their way up the length of her vertebrae. His touching migrated up to the back of her head, where he scratched at her scalp and played with the thick strands of spiky black hair that sprouted from it. Caulifla purred in approval. Saiyan hair was extra sensitive, and to have it kneaded so lovingly came with much satisfaction. The male continued with his massaging for some time, all the while listening in on the dreary sound of the rain and thunder that came from outside.

"Glad to have me, huh?" Caulifla murmured, her eyes still closed as she enjoyed the feeling of Cabba's caressing. "That's what I thought."

The tranquility came to its peak when Caulifla shuffled herself closer to the crown of the bed, leaned over, and kissed Cabba on the side of his cheek. Cabba's eyes widened, and he blinked in an effort to regain his focus. Even though simple kissing was far from the most that the two of them had indulged in with one another, Cabba was always surprised whenever Caulifla smooched him out of the blue, like that. It was just a simple side-effect of being so new to the field of romance, especially with someone like her.

"Uh..." He muttered, causing Caulifla to snicker.

"Gifted speaker." She teased.

Cabba chuckled nervously. He couldn't deny that there was a little part of his brain that short-circuited whenever he was kissed.

On the other hand, Caulifla herself thought it quite amusing whenever Cabba got flustered, similar to just then. She'd even go so far as to call it cute. There were many things that she admired about his personality: His ability to take charge of tough situations, his leadership and bravery, his strength. Yet she couldn't deny that there was something attractive to her about that reserved character and stable compassion that he displayed. She saw it in Kale, as well. As annoying as it all could be to Caulifla, at times, she had eventually grown to appreciate it. As with many thoughts that concerned the past and memories spawned from it, the power of daydreaming soon took effect.

Caulifla found herself reminiscing once again to her own personal experience during the Tournament of Power. She thought back to how Cabba, the very same person that she was now sharing a bed with, had so courageously stood up for her when she had been drained of her energy, and open to attack from other fighters. Despite that other fighter from the fourth universe claiming that he was just showing off in front of them, Caulifla couldn't deny that she had been impressed with Cabba. That was when she had first realized that there was far more to him than what met the eye. From then on, her respect and admiration for him had only grown larger with the passage of time.

But now that they had achieved their combined goal of reaching Super Saiyan Three, who knew what would come next? Neither of them had any intentions on quitting just yet, that was for sure. Cabba and Caulifla still had plenty to look forward to: Harnessing and cultivating the powers of their new transformations, reuniting with their good friend Kale, and perhaps even vying for a transformation beyond that of Super Saiyan Three. If there was something even further past it - be it some long-lost ascension or God-given power-up like Super Saiyan Blue - they would achieve it in due time. With Cabba and Caulifla's combined resolve and potential, there was nothing they couldn't do.

Whatever the case, much work was still to be done for the two young Saiyans, and they were both eagerly looking forward to every step of the way.

In the moment, however, they enjoyed one another's company with ease. In fact, Caulifla herself sought to show her friend just how much she enjoyed his company, and promptly took to kissing at his exposed neck. At first, Cabba was quite enraptured, and let her suckle at his neck and lower jaw without question, but as the intensity of Caulifla's actions grew, the male couldn't help but grow skeptical of just how far she was seeking to go. She was acting rather frisky. Apart from the current moment, the closest that he and Caulifla had been to one another over the past three weeks had been a brief shower that they had taken together just the other day. Cabba was plenty glad and grateful to share such intimate moments with her, but considering the present time and place, the nagging voice in the back of his head pointed out the logical flaw.

He tried to vocalize his thoughts;

"Caulifla... Are you sure?"

"Very." She replied in between kisses.

The female straddled him - throwing one leg around his waist and positioning herself atop his body. Cabba couldn't deny that he was aroused. The growing heat, and the soft pattering sound of the rain from just outside created a very mesmerizing and feverish atmosphere - he could understand why Caulifla was feeling so frisky - but he didn't let that stop him from reaching out with his hands and lightly gripping at Caulifla's shoulders in an effort to acquire her full, undivided attention. He cleared his throat audibly.

Cabba swallowed. "Caulifla..." He said again. "Can we really, ya know... Do this? I mean, we'll probably be training early tomorrow morning, and-"

The female Saiyan silenced him with a kiss full on the lips. He was taken aback, at first, but quickly gave in as he allowed his two eyes to close shut and apprehension to melt away like snow beneath a blazing afternoon sun. Cabba could feel her nibbling on his bottom lip. He kissed back at her, all the while resisting the urge to caress her backside.

As suddenly as it had started, however, Caulifla promptly pulled away and broke the kiss. She leered down at Cabba, her point having been made. Caulifla could see the inner want deep down in his eyes, past his reluctance and denial. Cabba may have grown into his sexuality ever since he and Caulifla first became mates, but he still had that shy, reserved personality that frequently weighed him down. She may have grown to enjoy it, but Caulifla couldn't deny that she sometimes needed to play the seduction card to break through Cabba's shell. This time around wouldn't be too different from the very first time they had mated, it would seem: All he would need was a little bit of coaxing.

The female Saiyan tilted her upper body back and gazed down at her partner from above. She explained;

"I feel like I owe you something. Super Saiyan Three is finally ours, and I think that's worth celebrating, don't you?"

Cabba pondered over his friend's statement. It was both true and compelling, but not enough to convince him. He listened in as Caulifla continued her explanation;

"You've been good to me, Cabba. You are kind, and funny, and an amazing friend. You've taught me so much, and given me great times in the past. Let me return the favor!"

For a moment, Cabba simply stared up at his counterpart. After a second of silence, he reached out and gently grabbed one of her hands. He gripped it with firm reassurance.

"Caulifla," He started. "I understand... But I don't know. This is Vegeta's house. Can we really... You know?"

Staring into his eyes, Caulifla could see the reluctance that held him back. She had a feeling that deep down, he truly wanted to indulge in some intimacy with her, but was on the apprehensive side due to the alien environment and presence of others in the same building. If he was going to break through his shell, he would need more incentive.

The female Saiyan spared a momentary glance at the nearby window as a bright crack of lightning in the distance lit up the darkness outside. She smiled to herself and said;

"Looks like the weather is in our favor. No one will hear a thing. You won't have to worry about anyone but me."

Cabba pursed his lips. A skeptical humming sound emanated from his throat. Caulifla rolled her eyes.

"Oh, c'mon, Cabba! There's nothing to worry about." She asserted. "We can enjoy ourselves as much as we'd like. A little bit of private-time won't hurt anyone."

Caulifla leaned forward so that she was nearly nose-to-nose with Cabba.

"I know you want to - I can see it in your eyes." She claimed.

The male Saiyan blushed, though not without a very slight smile playing at the edge of his lips.

"A little bit, yeah." Cabba admitted.

"Then what's the worry for? Let's go for it!"

Cabba furrowed his brow as he pondered over Caulifla's request. It wasn't exactly a bad offer. He listened in as Caulifla added one last point of encouragement;

"I've been itchin' to spend some quality time with you ever since we got here. Besides, like I said, I feel like I owe you one for helping me finally reach Super Saiyan Three..."

Caulifla trailed off and glanced to the side, scratching at the back of her head sheepishly. "And for accidentally punching you, too." She finalized.

Cabba laughed, adequately alleviating Caulifla's guilt. "Don't sweat it." He assured. "I told you that I'm alright. You didn't mean to hit me, even though you probably wanted."

The female giggled. She then sighed to herself before relaxing her body atop her partner's. She stroked at the bruise on his face, all the while staring carefully into his eyes.

"Well, your forgiveness alone isn't good enough for me." She claimed stubbornly. "I still feel like I owe you a little something."

A brusque smile crept its way along Cabba's face. "I mean, if you really want to, well, you know..." He muttered, the proper words evading him. "I suppose we could."

"That's more like it." Caulifla teased. "And just so you know, I wouldn't be offering this if I didn't want it myself." She claimed, all the while licking at her lips hungrily.

Cabba gulped. He momentarily wondered if he had gotten himself into something troublesome, but quickly found himself pushing those thoughts aside. Before they could get a chance to return, Caulifla leaned down and locked her lips against his own; effectively drowning away any remaining inklings of apprehension that he may have had left. He found himself kissing back at her almost immediately: Sliding his tongue upwards and allowing it to grapple against Caulifla's in a flavorful dance. The female pushed her face against that of her male counterpart's, effectively adding pressure to the oral connection before suddenly backing off and severing the kiss. She flashed a flirty smile down at her partner as she watched him lean forward and gape like a fish, clearly wanting more. Teasing him like that never got old, no matter how many times she pulled at his leg.

"So... Still want to back out?" Caulifla jested, a cocky smirk playing at her lips all the while.

Cabba chuckled. "I'd be lying if I said I did." He claimed.

"As I thought."

Caulifla then leaned forward and spread herself out atop him. Her left hand ran its way up the length of Cabba's corresponding arm. She gripped his palm; pushing the back of his hand against the soft surface of the bed and lightly squeezing it in a sign of mutual comfort and reassurance. Even though she didn't mind getting a little rough with him sometimes, this time around, she figured that some more steady-paced lovemaking would be appropriate, at least for the moment. The both of them were still quite tired from their earlier training, after all, so there was no need to push things too hard just yet. Caulifla began by steadily grinding her hips against Cabba's as a sort of warm-up.

She figured that she could pick up the pace later on, but for now, she was more than happy enough to relish in the current atmosphere of steady ease and pleasure.

Her hips took on a rhythm of their own as she felt Cabba grow beneath her. Caulifla leaned down low atop his form; lovingly kissing at his face and allowing him to explore her body. He wrapped his hands around the curve of her waist, lightly gripping his fingers into whatever grooves they could get a hold of. The blood flowing in their veins felt hot and swift. It filled their muscles with renewed energy, and the collective temperature in the room seemed to increase as the inner instincts of the two Saiyans surfaced.

The female's pheromones filled the air with the smell of desire. Likewise, each breath that she took filled her nostrils with the scent of Cabba's husk. Their heated bodies writhed as the intensity grew. Caulifla slid back and forth, rubbing their nether regions together. The heat generated from the act was almost sweltering. Beneath her, Caulifla felt Cabba's muscles harden as the stimulation from their lovemaking built up throughout his body. The flames of arousal began to consume them both. In time, the will to connect could no longer be held back: Caulifla felt Cabba approach her entrance, lifting his hips upwards and grinding them against her own. She shifted her weight a little bit in an effort to help guide him, and slightly spread her legs to grant him better access. She caught her breath as their bodies joined, and the pressure between them grew.

Caulifla let loose a pent-up sigh of indulgence as she pushed her hips downward - lowering herself further down upon Cabba, who groaned aloud as his bodily senses were electrified from the increase of sexual pressure. The female panted as she settled herself into a comfortable position, placing her hands behind her to help support her weight.

Meanwhile, Cabba stared up at the healthy body of his female counterpart. Intimately connected to her, he felt a strong desire to close the distance even further, but the current position that they were in rendered that difficult. Instead, he took to touching at her body: Running his fingertips along the muscles in Caulifla's inner thigh before raising his arms up and tenderly fondling at her breasts. His thumbs kneaded against her nipples, and as he caressed at the soft texture beneath his fingers, ticklish snickers emanated from Caulifla. She laughed some more as he massaged her rib-cage. Cabba couldn't help but smile. When it was over, the two Saiyans were left staring into one another's eyes with ease. They both adored the mixed feelings of friendship and pleasure that came with their more intimate moments together, and it showed whenever they smiled down at one another, eyes shining, and full of want and endearment. Cabba thought that it was quite cute that he could make Caulifla laugh and smile like that.

Her more caring personality seldom surfaced in public, but with Cabba, it was all for him to cherish. Now, he sought to revel in the passion between he and his beloved mate.

He caressed Caulifla's belly with the tips of his fingers; conscious of the fact that a part of him was now trapped behind it. Her abdominal muscles flexed, and deep within her, Cabba felt the sexual pressure between the two of them bolster to even grander heights as his member was squeezed like a vice. He groaned as the stimulation worked its way up his body, causing his muscles to tighten and his senses to sharpen. He stared up at the Saiyan atop. Caulifla pat her stomach as though she had just enjoyed a meal.

"Way to fill me up, Cabba." She huffed. "Now the real fun can begin."

With Cabba embedded deep within her, Caulifla leaned back, using her weight to tug on her partner's body. She watched him grimace in pleasure as a hot pang of sexual pressure bubbled between them. Leaning forward, the female allowed the tension to simmer away. Caulifla smiled. She felt gratified, knowing that she could make Cabba squirm when she wanted him to. Playing the dominant role with him never got old. As much as she enjoyed letting Cabba take the reigns and have his way with her, Caulifla couldn't deny that she preferred being on top with him: She had grown to adore his polite nature and reserved feelings, yet being able to see all of that melt away when he was spread out before her was terribly arousing. Caulifla loved to relish in those moments, and appreciate the bond between them that had grown so much over the months.

It was all that she could have asked for, really: The two of them, together and against the world.

Kale may have been her best friend, but by now, Cabba was arguably just as, if not even closer. It was he who had ignited the spark that would drive her to further heights of power and strength, and brought her on the experience of a lifetime in the Tournament of Power, after all. It was almost funny to think that there was a time when Caulifla had viewed Cabba with spite. She had even once remarked to Kale about how she would 'never fall for someone like him.' Caulifla may have once despised Cabba's presence, but those times were long over. Now, she held nothing but admiration for him. Cabba's friendship and endearing support over these many months had helped propel Caulifla to places she had never even dreamed of, brought forth new, fun adventures across the multiverse, and gifted her with feelings that she had long since thought out of reach.

To make to love with him was only further proof of their bond - A stalwart seal that represented just how far they had come as companions, friends, and now; as lovers.

As Cabba got more and more used to his mating sessions with Caulifla, she had opted to try more adventurous positions with him; and she wasn't afraid to get a little rough with him, either. Fortunately, Cabba didn't mind. His rather reserved personality paired well against Caulifla's aggressive one, and made for an all-too fitting affinity between the two, especially when it came to their more salacious activities, together. Cabba actually enjoyed playing it submissively while Caulifla had her fun, and they both loved it.

Enraptured in the pleasure of the moment, Caulifla then took to developing a steady rhythm of movement, rocking back and forth against Cabba so as to prime themselves ever closer to what unbridled carnal sensations lay waiting at the finish line. Seeking to draw it out as much as she could, Caulifla started slowly, lifting herself up before sinking back down on Cabba's length. She then leaned forward and began to kiss at his face, all the while grinding her hips against his own and listening in on his whimpers of pleasure. Cabba's hands glided down the lengths of Caulifla's well-structured sides, and came to rest upon her hips. Her hourglass figure felt smooth to the touch, though the bony ridges on the crests of her hips gave some more diverse texture to the male's caressing. Cabba hesitated a moment so as to catch his breath. Caulifla leered down.

"What's wrong?" She teased. "You're not getting tired, are you? 'Cause I've got plenty more fight left in me!"

The male grinned. His female counterpart never turned down the opportunity to play snarky, with him. He had grown to like that trait of hers.

"Don't be underestimating me just yet." Cabba retorted.

He then gripped at Caulifla's waistline and pulled her lower body against his own. The heated tension between them bolstered. Cabba struck even deeper within her, and Caulifla's previous bout of teasing faltered as the pressure worked its way up through her abdomen, effectively causing her jaw to clench and eyes to narrow in stimulation.

She managed to lock eyes with her friend. "Guess you really do got more to ya, huh?" She said between pants.

Her gaze then flitting down at Cabba's lean, but muscular body. Arousal grew within her, and as she continued to grind her hips against Cabba's, Caulifla felt the muscles in her thighs tense as they compressed her partner's lower body. His hands traced down her hips before caressing at her legs. Caulifla pushed herself back on their point of connection, causing surges of pleasure to rocket up their respective backbones. Hair stood on end as electrifying tingles worked their away across patches of skin, and wet droplets of salted sweat traced down the bodies of the two Saiyans as the intercourse between them intensified with time.

Almost to the point of sweltering, the temperature around Cabba and Caulifla only grew as the passion between them grew as well. The male's hands pushed down on the female's head and lower back, increasing the pressure between both their oral and intimate connections. Caulifla resisted the urge to moan aloud as his lips migrated to her neck and jaw, where he suckled at her exposed throat. She swallowed hard, and closed her eyes, allowing herself to become enraptured in the moment. Cabba's teeth lightly scraped and nibbled at her windpipe, tugging and nipping at her skin just light enough not to hurt, yet just hard enough to send gratifying tingles throughout her entire neck.

As heavenly as it was, it was paltry compared to the sudden surge of stimulus that emanated from her nether region as the intimate connection between her and Cabba was strained as the latter pushed his hips upwards, driving himself further against her. Gritting her teeth, Caulifla leaned exhaled heavily as a wave of weariness encompassed her body. Blinking the dizziness out of her eyes, the female Saiyan panted softly as she leaned back, all the while staring at Cabba from up above. He smiled, and she did as well.

"You're really something." Cabba complimented her.

"And you're not too bad yourself." Caulifla teased.

The male grinned. "If you let me up, I'll show you what I can really do." He offered.

"Oh? Is that bravado, I'm hearing?"

"Hey, now don't be underestimating me."

Caulifla giggled. "Never." She then leaned down and kissed him square on the nose once more. "But you'll get your chance some other time. I'll have my fun, for now."

"Alright, alright." Cabba gave in. "I'm all yours, then."

"Good. Now..." Caulifla hummed. "Let's spice things up a little bit, shall we?"

At that, the female Saiyan shifted her weight as she severed the intimate connection between her and her partner. She maneuvered herself around, turning a full one-eighty before settling back down on top of Cabba. Caulifla felt him squirm beneath her, and she promptly lolled her head over her shoulder to get a good look at him. She took note of the muscles in his lower body as they tightened in pleasure, and smiled as her gaze fell upon his face. His expression was that of content, but with slight confusion as well.

"You all good back there?" Caulifla asked.

"I'm great, but..." Cabba began. "What are you doing, exactly?"

"Oh, just changing positions, thas'all. What do you think?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, the female Saiyan ground her hips against her mate's, causing a heated ripple of sexual pressure to bubble up from between them.

Cabba tightened his jaw in stimulation. "I-I think that will do." He stuttered before gulping hard. His partner smiled mischievously, intent on trying out this new alignment.

With their twin bodies intimately connected once more, Caulifla resumed her previous movements: Rocking back and forth at a steady, but building pace. She supported her weight upon her hand, placing a single palm behind her and against the surface of the bed. Cabba relished in the new change of position, using his hands to explore Caulifla's lean body. He squeezed at her rump, enticing ticklish snickers from above, and massaged at her tailbone and lower back. His palms ran along the surface of her skin, and a seed of arousal began to blossom within him. A growing pressure between them caused hot waves of euphoria to wash across both Saiyans, and with it, the end drew closer.

Seeking to draw it out as long as possible, Caulifla slowed her pace even more, and resumed a steadying rhythm of back and forth rocking. She heard Cabba stifle a growl of impatience, and smiled to herself, knowing that she still had him under her near total control. Caulifla wasn't ready to let him finish just yet. Below her, she felt Cabba strain. He was getting closer to the edge, and that unbridled release that came along with it. Cabba's muscles tensed as the sensation growing in his lower body came to its summit.

"Caulifla..." He rumbled. "You..."

The male Saiyan trailed off as he closed his eyes and allowed himself a moment of indulgence. He felt Caulifla shift her weight, the causing pressure between them to rise. This new position of theirs may have been fun, but Caulifla quickly found herself wanting to be face-to face with Cabba, so that she could kiss him directly, and feel his arms as they wrapped around her body, especially when they were this close to the end.

Without warning him, she quickly flipped herself around before settling back down on her partner. Barely fazed, Cabba continued to gasp, and grope at Caulifla's exposed body. The female Saiyan leaned down and planted her face against Cabba's, sealing their lips together in a feverish kiss. Heat built between them, and their combined climax was reached in a sudden burst of pressure and pleasure. Caulifla's thighs and abdomen tensed, and beneath, she felt Cabba writhe about as he emptied himself within her. His arms gripped at her back, and the oral connection between the two young Saiyans broke apart as they inhaled in an effort to recover the oxygen that they had used up.

Cabba grit his teeth together, and Caulifla bit back a slight moan of pleasure as she came with him. Their twin bodies squirmed as limbs feverishly groped at everything within grasp. Their hot breaths lapped against one another's faces, and as the passion reached its peak, the two of them slowed their movements and relaxed into a steadier rhythm. The female Saiyan continued to ravish at her partner's body until she finally collapsed atop his chest. Panting lightly, Caulifla rubbed her cheeks affectionately into Cabba's sternum. Farther below, the stimulus between the two dulled into a warm sensation, and soon faded entirely. A residual dampness of sweat caked the surface of the mattress, but the two Saiyans simply shifted away before promptly cleaning themselves up with a nearby towel. When all was done, they were left cuddling together silently.

"Thank you for everything, Cabba." Caulifla finally whispered.

Her words held no falsehoods. From his friendship and camaraderie, to his wisdom and support, there was nothing from him that Caulifla wasn't grateful for. Training hard together, fighting as a team, growing stronger every day, and even reveling in one another's passionate embrace all stood as testament to the relationship between the two.

Without reply, Cabba pulled her closer with his arms. This simple act was all that he needed to convey to get the message across. Cabba adored everything about Caulifla, from her hair-trigger temper to her unbeatable fighting spirit, and to him, there was little better than simply being beside her. He relaxed while she traced a finger along the surface of his bare chest; running the tip of her nail across a patch of minuscule battle scars just below his collarbone, and leaving the hair in its wake standing on end in sensual satisfaction. Caulifla sighed, intent on enjoying the moment. It was nice. Wallowing in eachother's warmth, they listened in on the soft pattering of the rain outside.

"Rest well." The male finally said.

Caulifla smiled to herself. That was all that she needed to hear.

Soon, with the sound of rain and the soft thumping of heartbeats around them, sleep claimed them both, though neither could have guessed what the morning would bring.

\---

Hey everyone!

I certainly hope that you enjoyed this latest chapter update. I had a ball writing it up, and would adore knowing your thoughts on it in the form of a review! Similar to last chapter, I don't really have much else to say, at the moment. Just know that you can expect another chapter or two sometime down the road.

The ending of this chapter may have been similar to the first one, but I assure you, what's coming will definitely prove as unique as it is interesting. I really wanted to close out this chapter on a more peaceful note, just like the first, before bringing chapter four onto the table. You'll see what I got planned soon.

Do stay tuned!

In the meantime, however, do please review! Tell me whatcha think of the writing, the characterization, and perhaps even the explicit scene at the end, as well. I figured I would try out having Caulifla dominant the entire time. What do you think? I'd love to know your thoughts on it all, as I said. Thanks a lot!

'Till next time...

Peace!

PS: A special thanks to poetrymagic12 and Berserker88 for providing extended ideas and feedback for this story.


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